Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana
by hineko
Summary: Hijikata's sister comes to live with the Roshigumi. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

(blossoms that scatter hastily) - This usually refers to sakura blossoms because they only bloom in full for a few days before their petals scatter and fall. It's also a metaphor of a person who lived to his fullest during his too short life.

After over a decade of being a total lurker on this site, I've decided to try my hand at actually writing something. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, so please read and review!

Disclaimer: I, much to my eternal regret, do not own anything in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

_They say it's what you make  
I say it's up to fate_

* * *

"There's a letter for you Hijikata-kun."

Hijikata Toshizou looked up form the reports he was currently laboring over to see Sannan Keisuke standing slightly outside of Toshi's open shoji door. "Well bring it in. We sent several dispatches out to the local clans over the past few weeks. Perhaps one of them has finally sent a favorable reply."

"This doesn't appear to be official mail. It's from Edo."

Toshi frowned. "From Edo?" The only person he could think of that would write to him from Edo was his older sister Toku. She wrote to him at least once a month but he had heard from her just recently so another letter was unusual.

Toshi took said letter from Sannan. The handwriting was definitely Toku's. He opened the letter with some trepidation; this was either good news or very bad news. His older sister rarely deviated from her routine; he doubted she would do so now just because he had moved to Kyoto.

_Dear Toshizou,_

_I'm really not sure how to begin this letter. So much has happened since you left for Kyoto two months ago. I don't know if you'd heard about the recent measles outbreak in Edo. You'll be relieved to hear that Kimiko and Hinako weathered the dreaded disease without anything more serious than a few scars that will fade with time._

_I regret to inform you that my beloved Ryou was not so fortunate. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that he is gone. It happened so quickly. One minute he was helping me care for the girls and the next he was gone. They say adults experience a much more severe reaction than children._

_This brings me to the purpose of this letter. Ryou's family has graciously agreed to take in the girls and myself. Misako is another matter entirely. My mother in law has made it clear that there is not enough room in her home for another unmarried girl. It will be expense enough to take in the three of us, let alone an adopted cousin. _

_Toshizou, I know the timing of this is inconvenient, but Misako must be your responsibility now. A new widow with three unmarried girls in her charge has little option but to rely the charity of her late husband's family, and they have made it clear that their hospitality only extends to Ryou's children. Misako has recently completed an apprenticeship with a renowned kimono maker in Edo so she should have no problem finding work and earning her keep in Kyoto. I have booked her passage on a ship departing in three weeks._

_I know you are the youngest of us and never anticipated having the burden of raising our cousin thrust upon you, but I'm afraid it can't be helped now. As distressing as it may be, of the six of us you are in the best position to look after Misako now. I'm sorry._

_Your loving sister,_

_Toku_

Sannan watched as Toshi dropped the letter while staring at nothing in particular. His eyes were wide and he looked paler than usual. "Daijoubu yo Hijikata-kun? Is there something wrong?"

Toshi remained silent and while Sannan knew his friend had a difficult time expressing his emotions, this reaction seemed extreme even for him. Because of this, Sannan felt it prudent to find out what had caused his old comrade such distress. Picking up the letter from where it had fallen, he quickly read over its contents.

"I wasn't aware you had a cousin."

It took a few minutes for Toshi to reply. "She was the daughter of my father's younger brother. My aunt and uncle both died in a cholera outbreak. My family took her in and adopted her as one of our own. She was three years old at the time so she really has no recollection of her real parents. Toku and my older brother Satoru shouldered the responsibility of raising her."

Sannan was silent for some time, thinking over what Toshi had said. "Toku-san mentioned that she had completed an apprenticeship so she couldn't still be a child. How old is she now?"

"Eh…" Toshi narrowed his eyes, apparently attempting to calculate his cousin's current age. "I would say at least sixteen or seventeen. She and my nieces are around the same age, although I think she might be a year or two older than them. I haven't actually seen her in several years. She's mostly lived with the family that owned the kimono shop for the past four years so that she could complete her training."

"You'll have to get permission from Yagi-san for her to stay here. I don't know for sure, but I get the feeling that he was forced to take us in to begin with. I feel that it might be difficult to convince him to take in a relative on top of everyone else."

The two friends sat in silence for some time, both desperately trying to think of a solution to this dilemma.

"Well, Toku was right about one thing. I never thought I would have to be responsible for Misako. I don't know anything about being a parental figure!"

Sannan chuckled at Toshi's woe begotten expression. "Well, think of it this way Hijikata-kun. You've definitely gotten some practice being an authority figure for the Roshigumi. Perhaps that experience will aid you now?"

"Don't you think being an authority figure for the Roshigumi is a little different than being an authority figure for a younger sister? In my experience men are a lot easier to boss around than sisters." And Toshi did speak from experience. He had four older sisters who, despite spoiling him somewhat because he was the youngest, typically got their way in everything else. Why would a younger sister be any different?

Sannan looked thoughtful before smiling. "I think if you can deal with Okita-kun's antics, you should easily be able to deal with a younger sister."

Toshi suddenly looked horrified. "By the Gods in Heaven! This will never work! She would be the only woman here, and an unmarried one at that! How would we keep all the men away from her?"

"Yagi-san has an unmarried daughter."

"Whom he immediately sent to live with other relatives as soon as we moved in." Toshi replied in a flat voice. "What am I going to do?!"

"What are you going to about what Toshi?"

Both Toshi and Sannan turned at the sound of another voice to see Kondou Isami standing in the doorway, having obviously overheard part of their conversation.

Since Toshi still appeared lost and slightly alarmed about the prospect of his young, unmarried cousin's arrival, Sannan took it upon himself to fill Kondou in on the particulars of the situation.

"There is no way around the situation Toshi. She is your family and your responsibility. We will go together and speak with Yagi-san about her living here."

"But where will she sleep? We have no open rooms and many of the men are sharing a room as it is. I doubt it would be good for morale to move people so we could make room for her."

"We'll make do. If need be, Gen-san and I could move in together. I've known him most of my life and I don't need much room anyway."

"Kondou-san! I can't allow you to give up your room for my cousin! You're the commander of the Roshigumi, it just wouldn't be right!"

"Well, Toku-san said that she wouldn't be arriving for another three weeks anyway. That will give us time to come with something. You'll see, it will all work out Toshi."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

1. Lyrics from _Demons _by Imagine Dragons.

2. I tried to make this as historically accurate as possible. Hijikata Toshizou was the youngest of six children and was basically raised by his older brother and sisters after his parents died. I couldn't find any information on the names of his siblings besides the one sister he mentions in the anime, Toku. And, being the baby of the family he was apparently quite spoiled!

3. Apparently there was a large epidemic of measles in Edo about the time that the Roshigumi left for Kyoto. Okita fell victim to the measles and was quite ill for some time. Consequently, he arrived a bit later to Kyoto than the other members of the Roshigumi (besides Saitou).

4. Misako- written with the kanji for "beautiful, helpful child".


	2. Chapter 2

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I, much to my eternal regret, do not own anything in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

_Feeling my way through the darkness  
Guided by a beating heart  
I can't tell where the journey will end  
But I know where to start_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"I can't thank you enough for your assistance!" It was not the first time Misako had thanked the older gentleman who had offered her a ride from the harbor to Mibu Village. Her boat had arrived to Kyoto early, and she had worried about reaching her destination let alone getting there with all of her luggage. _Toku was right. I might have gone a bit overboard with the luggage… Four trunks definitely make traveling a bit difficult._ Misako thought that the kind man with the horse-drawn cart had taken pity on her after one look at her forlorn expression and mountain of luggage.

Okada Kakeru smiled at his young passenger's effusive thanks. "As I've told you, I am going to Mibu Village as it is and now I have company on what would have been a lonely trip. Besides, my wife would never forgive me for leaving a young lady unattended." Okada said with a hint of reprimand.

"Okada-san! I told you my brother did not know I was arriving today or he would have most certainly been at the harbor to meet me. There was not time for my sister and I to notify him of the change in my travel plans."

Okada grumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "no excuse" but Misako had stopped listening to her cantankerous travelling companion in favor taking in her surroundings. She had never left Edo before so seeing Kyoto and its surrounding prefectures was extremely exciting. She was so absorbed in the scenery that she didn't notice that they had slowed down.

"You said your brother was a guest at the Yagi mansion?"

"Hai! Yagi mansion in Mibu Village."

"Then I'm pleased to tell you that we have arrived at your destination." Okada replied, pointing to his left.

"Truly?" Misako peered past Okada to see a high wall with a large gate, behind which was a very large complex of buildings surrounded by what appeared to be small gardens. "It's beautiful!"

Okada spied a young man inside the gate, sweeping leaves from the path. "Is that your brother there?"

Misako looked where Okada had indicated. The young man had dark hair that was almost blue when the sun hit it and had a small, lanky frame. Shaking her head she replied, "No. My brother and I have similar features; black hair, fair skin, and violet eyes. He's also much taller and older than that young man."

"Well, let's ask him to fetch your brother for you then." Okada and Misako both got down from the cart and walked towards the large gate in front of the mansion.

Misako bowed as she reached the gate before calling out, "Gomen kudasai!"

The young man turned to face them and made a shallow bow in return. "Konbanwa. Ano, are you here to Yagi-san?"

"No. I'm actually looking for Hijikata Toshizou. Is he here?"

"Yes son, please find him. He left his young sister waiting by herself at the harbor and I want to make sure she is properly settled before I'm on my way."

"Mou Okada-san! I told you Toshi didn't know I was arriving today. There is no need to keep bringing it up that he didn't come to collect me." Misako defended while rolling her eyes before turning back to the young man at the gate. "So, is he here?"

"I'm afraid not. He and most of the others left early this morning. Are you really his sister?"

"Left? What do you mean he left? He said that he expected to stay here for some time." Misako was beginning to get worried. _He has to be here! I have nowhere else to go!_ She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye coming from one of the buildings in the compound. Her outburst had been a little loud but she hadn't been able to help it in her panicked state and it had obviously attracted the attention of someone else from inside.

"They're supposed to be back later this evening. They went out to speak to some merchants. Why don't you come in…" An older man with glasses interrupted the boy.

"Who is this, Ibuki-kun? And why were you inviting a stranger into our headquarters? There aren't many we can trust in this city." Misako's eyes widened. The man's tone was polite but his words weren't exactly welcoming.

"Sumanu… but Sannan-san, she says she's Hijikata-san's sister, she even looks a little like him. Shouldn't I have let her in?"

"Hijikata-kun said his sister was not to arrive for another three weeks." Sannan turned his gaze to Misako, gazing at her speculatively. "You're early."

Misako flinched at the man's implied reprimand. She bowed deeply. "Sumimasen! The boat Toku had originally booked passage on was damaged and the only other one coming to Kyoto was much earlier. Toku sent another letter but it looks as though I arrived before it did. I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience."

Sannan took some time to study the girl in front of him. Ibuki was right about one thing; she _did_ look like Hijikata. They had the same features, although hers were much softer. Her dark hair was long and almost overwhelmed her petite figure. She was wearing a lavender kimono that brought out the color of her eyes. "I'm sure we can work something out. We'll need to let Yagi-san know you're here; he's not fond of surprises. Hijikata-kun told him you would be arriving at the end of the month. You're called Misako, correct?"

"Hai. Hijikata Misako."

"I'm Sannan Keisuke and this is Ibuki Ryunnosuke. Come with me and I'll introduce you to Yagi-san."

"Well, it appears this will be good bye Misako-chan. You've assured me that your brother will take good care of you. I know where you live now so expect a visit from me soon."

"Thank you again Okada-san! Let me get my luggage out of your cart so that you can be on your way. I've delayed you getting home to your wife long enough. Sannan-san, Ibuki-san will you help me with my trunks?"

"Of course. Which one is yours?"

Misako grimaced before looking back at the two men sheepishly. "All of them."

"A-all of them? What could you possibly need in four large trunks?"

She smiled at Sannan's obvious puzzlement. "You obviously don't have any sisters. Can we just put them in Toshi's room until we've spoken with Yagi-san?"

Between Sannan and Ryunnosuke all four trunks were moved from Okada's cart into Toshi's room. Despite the trunks being stacked on top of each other, they still took up most of Toshi's room. There would barely be enough room for him to unroll his futon for the evening. Sannan shook his head ruefully. _Hijikata-kun will not like this at all…_

"Sannan-san, I really am sorry if my early arrival has inconvenienced everyone. It really couldn't be helped."

"I'm sure it will be fine. We really just have to convince Yagi-san to let us use another room in the mansion. I think that if you could charm a complete stranger into bringing you here with all of this luggage, getting Yagi-san to give us another room should be no problem."

Misako's eyes widened and her face reddened. "H-how did you…"

"I'm very good at reading people. It's something that I've perfected to help the Roshigumi succeed. Like I said, I doubt it will be hard for you to charm Yagi-san. Between his wife, daughter, and mother in law he's certainly used to women getting their way. Your best bet would be to prove to Masa-san that you can remove some of the burden of caring for us from her shoulders."

"Masa-san?"

"Yagi-san's wife. She's currently in charge of not only her own household but ours as well. If you were able to take some of that responsibility, I'm sure it would earn her gratitude. She has a daughter and two young sons to care for, so she is currently stretched a bit thin. Have you had any training in running a household?"

Misako looked affronted. "Of course I have. Toku's fondest dream was to marry me off so of course she made sure I could run a household."

Sannan smiled and led her up to the main building of the mansion in which the family resided. After introducing her to the family, Sannan took his leave.

Her audience with the Yagi family had gone well. After Masa had found out that Misako was willing to cook for her apparently long-term houseguests as well as assuming some of the chores involved with looking after a large group of men, her welcome to the household became much warmer. Misako spent the rest of the afternoon with Masa familiarizing herself with the layout of the mansion. It wasn't until the sun had started to set that she met up with Sannan again.

"Sannan-san, I brought you some tea."

Sannan looked up from the book he had been reading. He had been rather engrossed in the tale and hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. The others would be arriving back at the mansion soon. "Arigatou."

They had barely started drinking their tea when a commotion outside got their attention.

"SOUJI!"

"What now Hijikata-san? I was going to get ready for dinner."

"Why the hell is my room full of trunks?! These pranks of yours are childish in the extreme!"

"Filling your room with trunks as a prank would be pretty lame. Besides, I've been with you the entire day. When would I have had time to put a bunch of trunks in your room?"

Sannan and Misako cautiously peeked around the corner. It was easy to see that Toshi was still fuming over the supposed joke at his expense.

"He looks angry Sannan-san. I would hate for someone else to get in trouble because of my trunks. Although I can't imagine why he would think a room full of trunks would mean anything other than the arrival of a houseguest."

Sannan smiled. "Okita-kun likes to tease Hijikata-kun. I can see how he came to that conclusion since you weren't due to arrive for a few more weeks. Best you go ahead and let him know you're here."

Misako grinned cheekily up at Sannan before dashing headlong into the group of men at the end of the porch. "Nii-chan! Okaeri nasai!"

To say Toshi was surprised to see his sister round the corner and throw herself into his arms was an understatement. His comrades seemed to also be in similar states of astonishment.

"M-misako-chan?"

Misako stepped back out of her brother's arms, crossed her own arms, and glared up at him. She remembered his anger was mostly bluster to hide either worry or uncertainty, so she purposely worded her greeting in a way meant to put him on the defensive. Perhaps then he would be less irritated by her early arrival as Sannan-san assured her he would be. "I've been waiting for you all day. _And_ since you didn't come for me I had to find someone else to pick me up from the harbor!"

The men witnessing the scene unfold watched in disbelief as a myriad of expressions flitted over their fearless leader's face. Surprise had morphed into anger, which was just as swiftly replaced by remorse as he processed the rest of his sister's words. The man who had no qualms standing up to Serizawa-san looked as though he was about to start groveling to a woman so petite the top of her head didn't even reach his shoulders.

Misako decided to have pity on her conflicted brother and changed her tactics. Adopting a tone of remorse she asked, "Don't tell me that Toku's second letter hasn't arrived yet? We had to change my travel plans because a recent storm damaged the ship on which we had booked my passage."

"Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise Toshi. Why don't you make the introductions?" Kondou said while directing a friendly smile in Misako's direction when it became obvious that Toshi was still in shock.

Finally Toshi came back to reality. "Right. Of course. Everyone, this is my cousin Hijikata Misako."

Shinpachi was quick to step forward to introduce himself. "Nagakura Shinpachi here. I'd be happy to show a pretty girl like you around town."

Misako smiled and started to reply but the taller man behind Shinpachi interrupted her. He took her small hand in his much larger one and winked. "Harada Sanosuke, but everyone calls me Sano. It's a pleasure to meet someone as lovely as yourself."

Souji watched the drama unfold with glee. What he had thought would be a dull evening back at the mansion was turning in to anything but. Misako was clearly becoming flustered by the concentrated masculine interest shown to her. First Shinpachi and Sano, who were quickly joined by Heisuke in their effusive greeting of the young woman. Hijikata-san's reaction was even more entertaining. While Misako's eyes were wide and she had a light blush covering face, her brother's face could not be redder. And Souji knew it wouldn't be long before his temper erupted as spectacularly as Mt. Fuji. His green eyes flashed mischievously and with his trademark smirk in place, he closed the distance between them and went in for the kill. _Honestly, this is going to be too easy!_

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Song lyrics from _Wake Me Up_ by Avicii.

2. I had a very hard time finding any information (in English) about the Yagi family. Therefore, I will be using Kaze Hikaru as a guide when writing about them. If you haven't heard of it, Kaze Hikaru is a lovely manga that follows the Shinsengumi. It is also supposedly the most historically accurate fictional portrayal of the group. Members of the Yagi family include: Gennejou (head of the family), Masa (Gennejou's wife), Hisa (Masa's elderly mother), Hide (eldest child and daughter of Gennejou), Tamesaburou and Yuunosuke (sons of Gennejou).

3. Apparently the reason the Roshigumi ended up at Yagi mansion is because Yagi-san arrived late to a meeting and was therefore stuck hosting the undesirable "country samurai."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

My final project for the semester is due next week, so I might not get to update as quickly as I would like (especially since something coherent sounding for chapter 4 is eluding me!).

* * *

_Turn me inside out and upside down_

_And try to see things my way._

_Turn a new page, tear the old one out_

_And I'll try to see things your way._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Misako awoke early the next morning. Dinner the night before had been a lively affair but also slightly awkward since her brother had been glaring at each of the men any time they tried to speak to her. After travelling all day, being subjected to her brother's surly temper, and enduring extremely boisterous dinner companions she had definitely been ready to call it a night. After much argument, it had been decided that, at least for tonight, she would share a room with Toshi and they would work out future sleeping arrangements later.

Toshi was already up and answering correspondence when Misako had woken up. "I hope I didn't disturb you."

Misako looked rather blearily in Toshi's direction. She never had been much of a morning person but there was much that needed to be accomplished today. The first of those tasks included getting dressed and cleaned up for breakfast. "Yes, but I needed to get up anyway. The well is near the kitchen, right?"

Toshi watched as his sister rummaged through one of her trunks, the only one still in his room as the others had been banished to an adjacent storehouse. "Yes it is." He had been about to question her further, but was distracted by the multitude of items he suddenly found himself surrounded by that she was tossing out her trunk. "Misako-chan, what's all this?!"

She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "I just wanted to get cleaned up a bit so I was going to get some water from the well."

"But why do you need all of… this?" Toshi gestured at the rather large pile of items. Some were easily recognizable but others were outside of his scope of knowledge. For all of the time he had spent with his older sisters, this was a portion of female life that he had fervently and deliberately ignored. A glare and a huff in his direction were the only answers he received as he watched his sister open the shoji and leave in the general direction of the well. He would never understand women.

_Finding her a room of her own is definitely my top priority. _ He could only hope that Yagi-san would give her a room away from all the men. He had made his stance concerning Misako very clear to everyone the night before after she had retired for the night. Honestly, if it were up to him, none of them would be allowed anywhere near her. However, circumstances being what they were that wasn't really an option. Therefore he would have to rely on his threats of murder to anyone who insulted his sister in order to keep the men in line.

Misako quickly made her way across the courtyard. It was February and therefore quite cold out. She pulled her haori closer in an attempt to get warmer. _No doubt the water in the well will be freezing too! Let's just get this over with._ She sighed in relief as the well came into sight. Unfortunately, it looked as though someone else had beaten her there.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Hijikata-san."

"Ohayo, Ibuki-kun. You can drop the 'Hijikata-san', it makes me think you're talking to Toshi. You can't be that much younger than I am, call me Misako."

Ibuki smiled before replying "Hai, Misako-san."

"Are you finished? I just need a little bit of water to get washed up. I thought I would surprise you boys and make breakfast."

"Oh, that's great! They'll really appreciate that. None of them are really that great at cooking. I'm almost done with the dishes here."

Misako internally groaned. Ibuki was washing what appeared to be about two dozen sake bottles. _Who__ drinks that much sake anyway? _This would take forever and it was freezing outside!___ H_ow can I get rid of him without being rude? Misako smiled as her answer literally walked right towards them. Remembering the story Sannan-san had told her the day before, she started fidgeting restlessly to imply impatience and waited for the desired reaction. It certainly wasn't long in coming.

Ibuki was literally mid-sentence when he was shoved to the ground. "Once again you're hogging the well Ibuki-kun. It's not your personal well and now you're keeping a woman waiting in the cold."

Misako's eyes were wide as she mumbled out a greeting, trying not to smile. "O-ohayo, Okita-kun."

"Che! Was that really necessary Okita-san?!" Ibuki griped from his position on the ground.

"Eh? You want to take issue with me… again?" Souji replied while raising an eyebrow and fingering the hilt of his katana.

_Oh dear! This is going farther than I anticipated._ Misako quickly stepped in between the two men and deliberately misinterpreted Souji's actions by shoving half of her things into his arms. His eyes were comically wide as he looked at the myriad of items he was now holding.

"Arigatou Okita-kun! I was worried I was going to drop all of this. I appreciate your assistance!" Misako quickly filled a small bowl that she had brought with water from the well and began to wash her hands and face. After rinsing the soap from her face, she groped around in Souji's general direction until he got the message and handed her the small towel he had "volunteered" to hold.

In the time that she had taken to get washed up, Ibuki had taken the opportunity to leave before Souji took any more exception to his presence.

Misako took the rest of her items back from Souji. "Thanks again for your assistance. I'll see you at breakfast." She smiled at him again and started walking back towards Toshi's room to drop everything off before heading into the kitchens.

"Don't think I don't know what you were doing, Misako-chan." Souji called to her retreating figure. "Ibuki-kun hasn't yet realized his good fortune of benefiting from your kindness."

Misako turned back and looked thoughtful. "Kindness? I suppose you could call it that. Unless you thought my main objective was keeping you from fighting with Ibuki-kun. If that's that case then I'm afraid you're wrong." Souji's eyes widened as she continued. "Ibuki-kun's a nice enough boy, but I was rather in a hurry and he was monopolizing the well. Your arrival was wonderfully timed and you ended up getting him out of my way without him thinking ill of me. For that I thank you Okita-kun. I'll make sure you get an extra reward at breakfast this morning."

Souji watched as Misako strolled away, singing an upbeat tune to herself. _Did I really just get played by a girl?_ He was still pondering the seemingly unlikely situation when he was joined by Sannan. "I assume you were watching?" Souji asked in flat tone.

"She's rather clever, isn't she? To your credit, I had told her about the previous encounter between you and Ibuki-kun at the well. She has a definite… subtlety that Hijikata-kun lacks. I was worried at first when I heard she was coming, but I think she'll do well here after all."

"She said she was making breakfast. Think she's a better cook than Hijikata-san?"

Sannan shuddered at the memory of the last meal Toshi had made. "Let us hope so."

* * *

Misako took stock of what was in the pantry and began gathering supplies for breakfast. The choices were rather limited, but she had made better with less before. Quickly setting rice up to steam, she began preparing the rest of breakfast. She was beating the eggs to put on top of the rice when Heisuke and Saitou entered the kitchen. They both looked surprised to see her there.

"Ohayo Misako-chan! What are you doing here? It's me and Hajime-kun's turn to cook."

Misako smiled at both men. "I thought I would surprise you guys and make breakfast this morning. Why don't you two go wait in the common room? I should be done in about twenty minutes and then I'll need some help putting the trays out."

"Hai, hai. Let us know when you're done!" Heisuke said cheerfully before leaving the kitchen. Saitou had lingered in the kitchen, feeling conflicted. It _was_ his turn to cook, should he really leave all the work to Misako?

"Ano ne, Saitou-kun?"

"Yes? Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, thank you for offering. Actually I was wondering, is there any food in particular that Okita-kun favors? He helped me with something this morning and I wanted to show my appreciation."

Saitou looked thoughtful before replying, "Souji likes umeboshi."

"Arigatou Saitou-kun! I thought I saw some in the pantry, I could add it to his onigiri."

Saitou watched her for a few more minutes as she confidently made her way around the kitchen before deciding his presence would only be a hindrance and therefore joined Heisuke in the common room.

Approximately twenty minutes later, Misako had set up all the trays and called Heisuke and Saitou back to the kitchen to carry them into the common room. Looking at the meal, she found herself feeling quite proud. She had made a simple breakfast of tamago kake gohan, miso soup, and onigiri filled with smoked salmon. She had also set aside an extra onigiri filled with umeboshi for Souji. Both men stopped and stared at the trays, a surprised expression on their faces.

Misako's smile fell when she saw their faces. "Is it not ok? Masa-san told me how much she usually rationed for each meal."

Heisuke quickly regained his composure and tried to reassure an obviously upset Misako. "No, no, it's nothing like that Misako-chan. It's just that we don't usually have anything this nice for breakfast. It's not that we don't have the rations, none of us really know how to cook."

"Everything looks wonderful Misako-chan." Saitou replied quietly. "We'll help you carry it out."

The three of them began bringing the trays out to the common room. Misako tried to remember what Heisuke and Saitou had told her about their usual breakfasts when she saw everyone's similarly surprised expressions.

They all recovered quickly and after a hasty "Itadakimasu," they all began eating.

"Oishii! Will you make breakfast every morning Misako-chan?" Heisuke asked hopefully.

She smiled before replying, "I'd be happy to. I'd planned on finding work here in Kyoto so I probably wouldn't be able to make lunch but I could possibly make dinner most evenings. Would that be acceptable?"

There was silence for a moment before unanimous agreement from everyone in the common room.

"Just think, we won't have to suffer through any more of Souji or Hijikata-san's meals anymore." Shinpachi murmured quietly to Sano.

Not quietly enough apparently. "What was that Shinpachi?!" Toshi growled.

"Eh, nothing Hijikata-san!"

After everyone had finished, the dishes were carried back to the kitchen to be cleaned. Misako looked pointedly at Heisuke and Saitou. "I said I would be happy to cook the meals, but I'm not cleaning the dishes on top of that." And with that announcement, she walked out of the kitchen once again leaving surprised expressions in her wake.

Souji was on his way to the temple to practice when he heard someone calling his name. He turned back to see Misako trying to catch up to his much longer strides.

"Okita-kun, you left before I could give you this. I promised you a treat with breakfast, but I couldn't let everyone else see it. Thanks again for your help this morning." Misako handed him the onigiri. "Saitou-kun told me you liked umeboshi."

Souji continued to stare at the onigiri before slowly taking it from her. The moment was eerily familiar, only this time he wasn't a child and she definitely wasn't Kondou-san.

The silence was becoming awkward when he finally replied, "Umeboshi's my favorite, but no one else likes it so it's been awhile since I've had any."

Misako looked relieved when it seemed that he had appreciated the snack after all. The strange way he had looked at her had made her slightly uncomfortable. She smiled and said, "I can't say it's my favorite either, I find it too sour. But if you want, I can get some more for you next time I go to the market. I used up the supply in the pantry making that onigiri."

"You don't have to go through the trouble."

"It's no trouble at all. I need to go, Toshi said a room has been cleared and he's impatient to get me moved. I don't think he can wait to get rid of me. Apparently my mere presence is a 'distraction.' I'll see you this evening!"

Souji watched her walk away again, feeling more confused than he had in a long time.

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Lyrics from _How We Operate_ by Gomez.

2. A Japanese breakfast sounds pretty good! Tamago kake gohan is steamed rice topped with an egg.

3. Umeboshi is a pickled plum and is _extremely_ sour and salty. In addition to being put in onigiri, it can also be served as a side dish. I thought it might be something Souji would like since he's always trying to add extra seasoning to things (to everyone else's chagrin!).

4. I don't know if Toshi ever helped the other captains cook, but I found fanart on tumblr of him attempting to make onigiri with disastrous looking results. Saitou was also there making (predictably) perfect onigiri. It has since become head-canon to me ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit. But if a gift wrapped Souji was to be sent my way, I wouldn't complain!

Has everyone seen Kyoto Ranbu yet? I probably only understood about 40% of it but it was still very enjoyable. I can't wait for the second movie to come out now (or if someone wanted to sub the first one, that would be great too…)!

Can I just say that I am SOOO happy to be writing something that doesn't involve an RCT or drug trial?! If I had to write something using the phrase _et al._ one more time… But I am now officially done with this semester!

* * *

_A tricky thing__ as yesterday we were just children  
_

_Playing soldiers just pretending_

_Dreaming dreams with happy endings_

_ In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords  
_

_But now we've stepped into a cruel world  
_

_Where everybody stands to keep score_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It was a sunny afternoon and Misako had joined Toshi and the others at Mibu Temple for some sword practice. She was glad for the company as they had all been in a meeting that had started soon after breakfast.

She had kept herself occupied for most of the morning unpacking. Her room was small but had a lovely view of a small pond with a beautiful willow tree on the edge. She had only been slightly surprised that it was so far from everyone else's quarters, and quickly realized that it was probably Toshi's doing. _Overprotective idiot…_

Therefore, she was grateful to be outside even if it was rather cold. Anything was better than being stuck inside by herself. Souji and Saitou were off to the side sparring while Toshi was acting as referee. Misako watched from the steps in awe as the two traded blows. She had long ago set aside her embroidery to watch the two swordsmen. Toshi kept reassuring her that they weren't _actually_ going to hurt each other and that this was all for fun, but she was having a hard time believing him. They looked pretty intent on killing each other to her.

It was then that Sano, who had been practicing closest to the entrance, noticed Ryunosuke peering around the corner obviously trying to appear as though he wasn't interested in what was happening. Sano smiled and crept over to the gate and pulled the boy inside the next time he dared to peek around the doorway.

"Yo, Ryunosuke! Let's practice together." Sano said with a smile.

Souji loped over to them with a grin on his face. "Hmm, ready for another lesson already Ibuki-kun? Heisuke-kun said you were pretty worthless yesterday against those ronin. You obviously didn't take my advice."

Ryunosuke had been offering a half-hearted argument about going shopping for Serizawa again before he stopped and glared in Souji's direction. "That wasn't a lesson! The only advice you gave me was 'don't get hit.'"

Souji tilted his head, "And what's so wrong with that advice?"

Ryunosuke raised his arms in irritation. "It's not helpful if you don't teach me how to not get hit!"

"Maa, maa, I can't be expected to teach you everything Ibuki-kun. For a beginner, 'don't get hit' is sound advice."

Before Ryunosuke could continue arguing with Souji, he was interrupted by Hijikata, who looked put out by the entire conversation. "You cannot teach anything to someone who has no desire to live. Let him go into town by himself if he's so eager to die."

Ryunosuke narrowed his eyes at Hijikata before replying, "It's not like I want to die or anything."

"You aren't skilled with the sword nor do you train. You can't even draw your sword after you've purposely picked a fight with several ronin. You can't blame me for thinking that you're eager to die with actions like that."

"I could say the same about you! You came to Kyoto knowing that you could get killed by ronin! That looks like a death wish to me!"

Misako put her hand over her brow. She knew Toshi's temper well. _Oh Ibuki-kun, that was _literally_ the worst thing you could have said!_

And true to form, Hijikata lashed out at Ryunosuke's foolish words, grabbing him by the collar before yelling, "Don't lump people trying to accomplish something with someone racing towards his death!"

"I-I'm not…"

"At the very least, you aren't desperately fighting to live. If you don't want to die, throw sand or mud in your enemy's face and run!" Hijikata let go of Ryunosuke with a look of disgust before leaving the temple grounds.

Sano came up behind Ryunosuke and patted his head as he watched Hijikata leave. "That's the only way he knows how to express himself. It's just his way of showing he's worried about you."

Misako came to stand next to him, "However Ibuki-kun, you really shouldn't question his beliefs and purpose in Kyoto. He takes those things very seriously. As you saw, it was a very quick way to provoke his temper."

Ryunosuke shrugged off Sano's hand before replying gruffly that he was going to pick up Serizawa's tobacco before returning to do more chores around the mansion. Everyone seemed to view this as the end of practice and began walking back to headquarters.

Upon her return, Misako decided to consult with Masa about finding work. She doubted Toshi or the others would have paid attention to the types of shops in the surrounding area. Masa's exquisite kimonos must have come from somewhere though.

Misako found Masa in the main house's kitchen. She had obviously just finished directing the servants with details for the evening meal. "Ne, Masa-san? Can I speak with you for a moment?" Masa nodded and motioned for Misako to join her on the porch. After exiting the noisy room, Misako continued, "Do you know of any kimono makers in the area? I need to find a place to work now that I'm a bit more settled. I have a letter of recommendation from my last employer."

Masa wasn't long in answering. "The shop that I use belongs to Usui Yuuji. He makes some of the best kimonos in Kyoto. It would be difficult to secure employment there, or anywhere else, without a recommendation from someone in Kyoto."

Misako looked down and sighed. "That's what I thought."

Masa looked thoughtful for a moment. Misako had taken the majority of the responsibility of caring for her long-term houseguests. It had been such a relief. "Do you have anything that you have made that I could see?"

"Yes."

"Well, let's see it then."

"I actually have something with me. I was working on it this afternoon." Misako replied, indicating the small bag she was carrying. She handed it to Masa who carefully removed packaging. She didn't know what to expect since the contents seemed too small to be a full kimono. As she unfolded the fabric, she suddenly understood. It was a ceremonial kimono for a small girl and the detail was amazing. Sukura blossoms dominated the garment, each seamlessly flowing into the next.

Misako looked on nervously as Masa continued to examine the kimono. "It's for my niece. She'll be old enough to go to the Spring Festival this year in Edo."

After examining the details for a few minutes longer, Masa made her decision. "I'll take you to Usui-san's shop tomorrow. He would be forever in my debt if I recommended a talent like yours for his shop."

"Truly?! I can't thank you enough Masa-san!"

"It's not a guarantee, but it would go better for you than if you had showed up on your own. I'll have time to go after lunch tomorrow."

Misako beamed before replying, "I'll be ready. Arigatou gozaimasu!"

As she started to leave, Masa called out, "Misako-chan! If you see Yuunosuke will you tell him to get washed up for dinner?"

"Hai. I'll see you tomorrow Masa-san!"

As Misako walked back through the mansion grounds, it didn't take long to locate Masa's youngest son. It wasn't as easy to figure out what he was doing. He appeared to be looking for something.

"Yuu-chan, what are you looking for?"

She was surprised when he quickly turned around and made dramatic shushing noises. "Shhhh Misa-chan! I'm looking for Souji!"

"Okita-kun? Are you playing hide and seek?"

Yuunosuke smiled widely. "Hai!"

"Well, would you like some help? Okita-kun is sneaky, I'm sure he's found an excellent hiding spot." Misako said wryly, seeing Souji hiding rather obviously behind some bushes close to where Ryunosuke was sweeping. Bending to the young boy's level, she whispered, "Before I forget, your mother wants you to get cleaned up for dinner."

"Mou… but I'm not done playing yet!"

Misako struggled not to laugh at the boy's crestfallen expression. She could also hear Souji speaking to Ryunosuke from his hiding spot.

"Ibuki-kun, if someone comes by here later, don't tell him I'm here. If you say anything, I'll kill you." Souji threatened as he moved further behind the bushes.

"But Okita-san…" Ryunosuke was interrupted when Yuunosuke ran up behind him with a smiling Misako in tow.

"Hey, inu! Have you seen Souji?"

Misako's eyes widened. "Yuu-chan, why did you call Ibuki-kun that name? It's not very polite."

The boy looked up innocently at Ryunosuke and Misako. "But that's what Serizawa-san calls him. Now where's Souji? I thought I saw him come this way!" The boy had already restarted his search for Souji and was running away looking for other hiding places.

Ryunosuke looked affronted. "How come even the kid calls me a dog?"

Souji chose that moment to reemerge from his hiding place. With a wicked smirk in place, he answered Ryunosuke's obviously rhetorical question, "'Cause it's true."

"Maa, maa, Okita-kun. We shouldn't encourage Yuu-chan to be rude…" Misako was cut off by Yuunosuke crying loudly. All three adults ran towards the main gate where it sounded like the cries originated. Souji reached the child first.

"Souji!" Yuunosuke sobbed, clinging to Souji's leg and hiding his face. "I'm scared!"

"Yuu-bou, doushita no?" Souji asked, but Yuunosuke wouldn't answer, only repeating that he was scared. Souji's eyes hardened as he looked up from the boy back towards the gate, stepping in front of Misako and assessing for possible threats. "Misako-chan, stay there." However, Souji's initial unease didn't last long as familiar faces were the only ones present at the door.

Misako and Ryunosuke both gasped at the sight in front of them. The source of Yuunosuke's fear was none other than Saitou and Shinpachi. And while they were grateful headquarters was not under attack, the sight of their friends covered in fresh blood was not comforting.

Misako was the first to speak. "Saitou-kun, Shinpachi-san, are you alright?"

Saitou answered in his usual calm manner. "It's just spurts of blood, we're not hurt."

Shinpachi was quick to try to reassure the worried looking woman. "It was just a small conflict. Only one of our men was injured. None of this blood is ours."

_Just spurts of blood? Just a small conflict? Is that supposed to be reassuring?!_ Misako had no idea how to react or what to say.

Souji was quick to fill the silence that had descended on the group. "So, did you kill all the ronin?" That question earned him a smack on the arm and a meaningful glance in the child's direction from Misako.

Shinpachi was the one who ended up answering Souji. "They were quick to escape once the real fighting started. Souji, why don't you get Kondou-san and Hijikata-san so we only have to tell this story once?"

But Souji didn't move and instead turned his attention back to Saitou. "Hajime-kun seems pretty calm even after killing all those ronin."

Saitou didn't respond to the rather insensitive comment. Shinpachi rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever Souji, just go get them already."

Souji had looked as though he was going to say something else but finally turned to get the others instead. However, Yuunosuke was still attached to his leg. He picked up the small boy and handed him over gently to Misako.

"Misako-chan, take care of Yuu-bou."

Adjusting her hold on the boy, who had looked much smaller while Souji was holding him, Misako began walking back to the main house. She helped him wash his face and hands before returning him to his mother. Deciding that tea would not be amiss in this situation, she quickly made a pot and walked back to the main courtyard where Saitou and Shinpachi had started getting cleaned up. She stopped abruptly, almost upsetting the tea service as Shinpachi was in the process of removing his shirt.

Sannan was the only one who noticed Misako's dilemma. A dark blush stained her cheeks and she couldn't seem to decide where it would be appropriate to look. She finally met his gaze and he smiled kindly at her. Toshi chose that time to arrive, looking as angry as a thundercloud.

"I'll just leave this here then!" She practically thrust the tray into Sannan's hands and walked quickly back in the direction she had come from. She decided it would probably be better to start dinner and find out what happened later… when everyone was properly clothed.

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Lyrics from _Eyes Wide Open_ by Taylor Swift. Yes, I'm aware my taste in music is rather schizophrenic.

2. Someone asked me how old Misako is. I realize now it wasn't made very clear (and Toshi sure wasn't any help!). She is 18, older than Ryunnosuke but younger than Heisuke and Saitou.

3. Souji gives Ryunosuke sword "lessons" during the Reimeiroku game and the poor kid ends up with a nasty bruise since Souji _never_ does sundome (stopping a technique before impact). It actually got him into a little trouble with Toshi because he kept injuring the new recruits!


	5. Chapter 5

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

_Right from the start you were a thief  
You stole my heart and I your willing victim  
I let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty  
And with every touch you fixed them_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Hijikata was watching him again.

It was after midnight and Souji once more was out honing his skills. He had been at it for almost a week but had only acquired an audience a few days ago. An audience who didn't seem to realize he knew he was being watched. Souji was nothing if not observant. For the time being though, Souji would pretend he hadn't noticed Hijikata scowling at him in the shadows. Whatever he was upset about would come out eventually. _Hijikata-san's not exactly known for his patience,_ Souji thought with a grin. He gave him about ten more minutes before he would finally leave him to practice in peace.

_He's persistent tonight._ This was getting annoying. Might as well find out why he felt the need to watch him every night. Slowly and carefully Souji made his way closer to Hijikata's hiding spot, making it seem as though he was merely going through the different stances of the intricate kata. His very last move ended with his sword between the eyes of his spy. Emerald eyes bored into violet down the blade of his katana, a katana he had expected to be pointing at Hijikata's chest. Raising one eyebrow he said with a predatory smile, "Wrong Hijikata."

Misako blinked a few times, "I assume you were expecting someone else?"

"Hijikata-san's been skulking around lately."

Her eyes crossed looking at the katana that was still pointed at her face. "Maybe you'd like to point that elsewhere?"

He chuckled before finally lowering and sheathing his sword. "What are you doing up at this hour?" He asked, turning his attention back to her.

She gestured towards the open window. "That's my room. This entire week someone has thought it was a good idea to swing a sword around at all hours of the night."

Souji's smile was unrepentant. "Can't let my skills get rusty. I need to be ready to kill those ronin."

Misako raised an eyebrow before making herself comfortable, sitting down on the porch steps, "And Serizawa-san from what I hear. Toshi spoke of little else last night when I brought him some tea before bed. Whatever possessed you to threaten to kill that man?"

She watched as Souji's eyes became harder, the teasing light gone. And though he was still smiling, it looked more like a grimace than anything else. "Yare yare, you heard about that?"

"Well, there were a lot of witnesses. I'll admit I don't know Serizawa-san very well, but he was able to get the Aizu clan to recognize the Roshigumi so that you could stay in Kyoto. Is he really that bad?"

"Heh." Souji laughed mirthlessly. "Haven't you met the man? One meeting is usually all someone needs to hate him."

"It's not like I've had many opportunities to speak with him. The only time he comes over from Maekawa house is when you all have meetings. I've never exactly received an invitation to any of your meetings."

"You're lucky. I usually wish I wasn't invited to the meetings."

"Be serious Okita-kun! If Serizawa-san is the one with the connections to get what you want, why do you all hate him so much?"

Souji sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. "Sannan-san says we're just using him for his connections, which is true. But he purposely humiliates Kondou-san, which I can't forgive no matter who he's related to in the Aizu clan."

Misako frowned. "He does it on purpose? Why would he do that to Kondou-san when they are of equal rank?"

"I suppose because Serizawa-san is a high ranking samurai he thinks he can do whatever he wants. We're stuck with him for now but hopefully when the time comes, I'll be the one to kill him."

"I suppose so." There was a comfortable silence between them before she continued, "Thank you for explaining. Toshi gets so annoyed whenever I ask him about anything. You all have been so kind to me since I arrived, I just want to understand a little so that I don't inadvertently offend someone."

Silence again reigned as Souji took more time to study the young woman in front of him. She was no longer looking at him and was currently star gazing, making it easier for him to observe her without her noticing. She was dressed warmly in two sleeping yukatas and a haori he knew was Hijikata-san's. He wondered vaguely if Hijikata had noticed its absence before thinking back to the situation at hand. The girl in front of him was a beguiling mixture of maturity and innocence and he still wasn't quite sure what to make of her yet. He was brought out of his reverie by a light touch to his hand and he realized that Misako had been trying to get his attention for some time.

"Okita-kun, daijoubu?"

Souji shook his head and gave her a small smile. "Hai."

"I was saying I'm going to bed. It's late and Usui-san is expecting me at work tomorrow. You should get some rest as well. Oyasumi nasai."

"Oyasumi, Misako-chan."

* * *

Over the next week, it became routine for Souji to practice late into the night and for Misako to join him. They often spoke but much of the time they remained in companionable silence, leaving each other to their own devices; usually Misako to her sewing and Souji to his kenjutsu. Unspoken was the fact that they both found their time together both enjoyable and relaxing. For Souji, Misako was someone he could tease and be himself around, as she would occasionally get flustered but was rarely offended. And Misako found that while Souji himself sometimes acted childishly, he never treated _her_ like a child as her brother often did.

On one of these evenings, Misako looked up abruptly from her sewing as Souji's grinning face was currently inches from her own. "You know, if you're going to watch me practice every night, you might as well learn something while you're doing it."

"Eh?! I don't think so Okita-kun. I have no desire to learn to use a sword."

Souji raised an eyebrow. "You should learn how to protect yourself in case you ever get in trouble out on your own in the city. Come here, no better time to start than now."

Misako held up her hands in an attempt to ward off Souji's attempts to get her off the steps, but he easily breached her defenses, grabbing both wrists and pulling her to her feet. Before she actually knew what was happening, Souji had his katana in her hands and was already adjusting her form.

"Okita-kun! Mou, this sword is really heavy. I can't do this…"

"Of course you can. Look, you're already doing well, although the way you're standing and your grip are all wrong. You'll never be able to kill a bunch of ronin like that."

Before Souji could continue to correct the flaws in her form, she had shoved the katana back into his hands. "Women aren't allowed to use a katana Okita-kun, as I'm sure you know. There is no point in me learning to use a weapon that is illegal for me to carry!"

Misako smiled to herself. Figuring her argument was airtight, she began walking back to her room. She didn't make it far before Souji grabbed her wrist again and pulled her back so that she was once again facing him. His smug smirk immediately put her on guard.

"Hmm, you're right Misako-chan. It was foolish of me to forget that you cannot legally wield a katana. Here, use this instead."

Again, Misako found a blade in her hands and Souji was repeating his earlier interrupted adjustments to her form. This time she was holding his wakizashi, which to her chagrin, was completely legal for a woman of her social class to carry.

"Let's make a little bet, ne? If you can hold onto your weapon, you win. If not…" Souji let the sentence hang in the air briefly before moving.

It had taken Misako a few moments longer than normal to reply as Souji's sword-calloused hands upon hers, adjusting her grip on the weapon, had distracted her. However by this time, he had already moved into an offensive stance and was coming right towards her.

"Chotto matte Okita-kun! This is not fair at all! I did not agree…" Before she could finish her sentence, Souji quickly swung his katana with enough force to knock the wakizashi from Misako's hands. The weapon clattered noisily on the ground and Misako found herself on the sharp end of Souji's sword for the second time that evening. This time he had backed her into the wall and had his sword under her chin.

With a mischievous glint in his green eyes, he leaned closer so that he could whisper into her ear, "I win."

Misako rolled her eyes and unsuccessfully attempted to put some distance between then but with the wall behind her and Souji in front of her, there really was no where to go. "It was a stupid bet to begin with. There was no way you couldn't have won."

Smiling at her obvious discomfort, Souji moved closer still, cornering her between the wall and himself. "But I still won, so you have to give me my prize."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Prize? What prize?"

He lowered his katana from her chin and replaced it with his fingers, tilting her face so that she could look him in the eyes. He leaned in closer, searching her face for any signs of hesitation and seeing none he smiled before gently pressing his lips to hers. He gave her a few seconds to get over her surprise before coaxing her lips apart with a few gentle nips, allowing him entry to taste and explore.

Misako grabbed Souji's shoulders as new sensations flowed through her, making her limbs grow heavy. He murmured a wordless reassurance, the sound a low rumbling in his chest, somehow soothing and exciting all at once. Leaving one hand on his shoulder for balance, Misako let her other hand travel upwards to twine her fingers through his hair. She felt his lips curve in a smile against hers and soon his fingers were also tangled in her long hair, gently pulling to adjust the angle of the kiss.

After several endless minutes Souji pulled away, his calloused thumb lightly stroking her cheek. Misako continued to grip his shoulders as she wasn't sure she could stand on her own. Noticing her plight, Souji smiled and tightened his grip around her, enjoying the increased contact between them for a little while longer.

Pulling back slightly, he gently tugged on her hair so that her gaze met his. "I'll make sure to win all of our future contests if all my prizes are this nice."

Souji laughed silently as Misako's cheeks, which had been flushed after his kiss, turned a violent shade of red. Taking this opportunity, Souji let go and turned away. "You haven't said anything yet. Now you've hurt my feelings Misako-chan."

"Nani? Okita-kun…" Misako began following him before stopping as he abruptly turned around to face her.

"Souji."

"Eh?"

"After what just happened, I think you can call me Souji."

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Souji." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I didn't mean to… insult you. I… it was very nice."

This time Souji couldn't contain his laughter. "Honestly Misako-chan, you make it too easy!"

"I'm going to bed." She snapped before walking quickly back to her room. She had just opened the shoji when Souji caught up with her, blocking her way with his arm.

"Gomen, Misako-chan." _That_ got her attention. Souji rarely apologized to anyone, let alone sincerely. "I'll make it up to you." He said softly, leaning down to briefly capture her lips again before kissing her gently on the cheek. "See you tomorrow night?"

She knew she had a silly grin on her face, but she was too happy to care. "Yes."

"Oyasumi." Souji replied quietly as he shut the shoji door behind her.

"Oyasumi nasai... Souji."

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Lyrics from _Just Give Me a Reason_ by Pink.

2. The Serizawa faction of the Roshigumi stayed in the Maekawa house across the street from the Yagi mansion.

3. Only samurai were allowed to carry katanas, but those in the merchant class were allowed to carry either a wakizashi or a kodachi for defensive purposes. I'm not actually sure if women were allowed the use of either of these two weapons, but for the sake of this story let's just say that they were…


	6. Chapter 6

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

I wanted to thank everyone for their kind feedback so far. It is much appreciated!

* * *

_If we're only ever looking back_

_We will drive ourselves insane_

_As the friendship goes, resentment grows_

_We will walk our different ways_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Gochisousama."

Misako looked up from serving Shinpachi a second serving of rice to see Souji starting to leave the dining room.

"I'm going to get some more sword practice in tonight. I don't understand complicated things like fundraising and politics. The Aizu clan will have to acknowledge my ability if I kill a bunch of ronin like Hajime-kun and Shinpachi-san."

Misako looked uneasily between Souji and her brother. She could tell this would most likely start an argument between the two men. The other captains also looked uncomfortable at Souji's announcement.

"Souji, go back to Edo." Hijikata ordered with a hard look in his eyes.

Souji's eyes widened, not fully understanding why Hijikata would give that particular order. He saw puzzlement on everyone else's faces as well. Trying to remain calm, he replied, "That joke's not funny at all Hijikata-san."

In the same calm, even tone, Hijikata answered, "I'm not joking. It's better for you to leave Kyoto."

Souji's smile at this point was strained. He was obviously struggling to maintain his composure. "What makes you think that? Why would you send me back to Edo? You said yourself that we need all the men we can get. Wouldn't it be a loss for Kondou-san if I left?"

Hijikata frowned when Souji brought Kondou into the argument. Rolling his eyes and looking impatiently in Souji's direction, he explained, "Unlike me and Kondou-san, you are the first son of a samurai. You have the right to be a government official and with your sword skills, any dojo would issue you a certificate. You're young and there are many different ways you could make a living."

Narrowing his eyes, Souji took a step towards Hijikata. "Didn't I just say I don't understand politics? Why would I want to be a government official? And what does being the first son have to do with anything?! It seems you've forgotten that my brother in law inherited my family when he married my sister."

Hijikata raised his chin almost imperceptibly. He _had_ forgotten about that, not that he would admit it.

Souji continued, "And speaking of being the first son and excelling in sword skills, isn't Shinpachi-san the same? Why are you telling me alone to go back to Edo?"

"You and Shinpachi are different—" Hijikata began before being interrupted.

Hands fisted, Souji's voice became louder. "What's the difference?! Stop acting so mysterious and tell me the reason I would be better off in Edo away from Kondou-san?" His composure was slipping by the minute. He looked as though he was on the verge of striking Hijikata.

Hijikata on the other hand, seemed unperturbed by Souji's escalating agitation. Sighing, he answered, "You've been talking too much about 'killing ronin' lately. You've obviously been affected by spending too much time around Serizawa-san. You're still a child Souji. You obviously aren't able to keep your head around someone influential like him. That's why it's better for you to go back to Edo."

Emerald eyes flashed with hatred in Hijikata's direction before he adopted a dangerous grin. "That's some speech you gave. I'm in your way, right? If I stay here with Kondou-san, you won't be able to push him around and have your way. That's why you're really telling me to leave, isn't it?"

"If that's what you want to think, go ahead. Whatever makes you feel better about it." Hijikata then went back to eating, ignoring Souji, which only enraged him further.

"I'm not going back to Edo! Kondou-san didn't say I had to. Why should you be the only one to make this decision?!" By this point, Souji's composure was completely gone. No one else knew quite what to do either. Saitou moved almost imperceptibly to position himself in between Souji and Hijikata, just in case the two men's argument became violent.

Kondou, who had been silent up until now, chose this time to finally speak. Looking curiously at Hijikata, he asked, "Toshi, why all of a sudden do you want to send Souji back to Edo?"

"Here in Kyoto, there is no other way to use a sword besides killing others. If Souji stays here, one day his sword will be bloodstained as well. What would his sister Mitsu think if we allowed that to happen?"

Everyone was silent as they watched Kondou think on what Toshi had said. On one hand, Kondou didn't want Souji to leave. Souji had been right when he said that they needed all the men they could get, especially men with Souji's skill with a sword. On the other hand, what Toshi had said was true as well. Souji was being influenced negatively by Serizawa. His sister Mitsu had made Kondou promise to take care of Souji when she brought him to the Shieikan Dojo. Would allowing Souji to become a killer be letting Mitsu down?

Appearing to have made a decision, Kondou raised his head and looked in Souji's direction. "Souji…"

But Souji didn't let Kondou finish. "No! I won't go! I absolutely won't go back to Edo! I want to stay here and help Kondou-san!" He turned and fled the room, slamming the shoji shut on his way out. Heisuke got up to go after him, but Hijikata stopped him.

"Let him be. Once he's finished with his tantrum, he'll come back. He doesn't have anywhere else to go in Kyoto."

Heisuke slowly sat back down. The room was uncomfortably silent after such a heated argument. Kondou was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry this had to happen during meal time everyone. I'm sure Souji will be fine after he's had some time to cool down and think about it. If he hasn't returned in a few hours, we'll go find him."

Everyone finished their meals in silence before gathering up their trays to be washed. Misako paused for a few seconds, making sure that nothing she was feeling showed in her expression before picking up Souji's abandoned tray. She had hoped that he had wanted to leave dinner early so that they could spend more time together after he finished practicing. He had certainly had a mischievous look in his eyes before his argument with her brother had begun. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen now.

Misako shooed the men out of the kitchen, offering to wash the dishes herself so that they could all talk. It also gave her an excuse to stay away from the drama-filled room. From her position in the kitchen, she had a clear view of the main gate. Sensing movement in the darkness, she strained her eyes to see Kondou leaving quietly to search for his wayward pupil. _So much for waiting a few hours…_ Misako thought with a small smile.

* * *

Souji had been leaning on the railing of the bridge for several hours now, looking in the water with what appeared to be a blank stare. His thoughts however, were flowing as swiftly as the river's current below. He still couldn't believe that Hijikata had told him to go back to Edo. So what if he wanted to kill a bunch of ronin? Isn't that why Kondou had come to Kyoto in the first place? He didn't understand why Hijikata was so upset about him wanting to kill ronin. That _was_ the purpose of kenjutsu after all.

_Hijikata-san has overstepped his bounds._ Souji narrowed his eyes at the thought. _Kondou-san listens to everything he says. I have to be useful to Kondou-san so that he needs me too._ But Kondou had seemed upset about Souji wanting to kill as well. It was all very confusing. Killing was the way Souji felt he could be most useful to Kondou and yet he had been on the verge of telling Souji to return to Edo as well for that very reason.

Looking up into the night sky, he was able to see how high the moon had risen since he left headquarters. It really was getting late, he had already been gone for several hours. Some time alone had cooled his temper to a slow simmer from the raging inferno it had been during his argument with Hijikata. He was honestly surprised no one had come looking for him. _Hijikata-san probably told them not to._ Souji thought bitterly. He was a little annoyed that no one had spoken on his behalf during the argument. _Maybe they all agree with Hijikata-san._ He sighed, looking back down at the river before turning at the sound of hurried footsteps coming his way.

"Souji! There you are!"

"Kondou-san." Souji gave his mentor a small smile as he reached the bridge before scolding, "You shouldn't have come out here alone."

Kondou laughed before putting his hand on Souji's shoulder. "I wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing you were out here alone. I'm glad I was able to find you."

"Kondou-san worries too much. I can take care of myself you know."

"I know, but I worry all the same. Were you going to come back to headquarters any time soon?"

"Yes. I was actually just thinking about leaving now."

"Good. I know you have an early patrol tomorrow and you need to be well rested." Kondou said with smile.

"Hai, hai." Souji then turned and started walking back towards the headquarters next to Kondou.

"Ne, Souji?" Kondou asked somewhat hesitantly.

"What is it Kondou-san?" Souji asked, trying to mask his concern. He had been happy to see Kondou, but what if Kondou had sought him out to tell him that he agreed with Hijikata and thought he should go back to Edo?

"We've been officially recognized by the Aizu clan which means we'll be busy from now on patrolling Kyoto and protecting the citizens."

"Yes." Souji replied, trying to sound cheerful.

"That means there will be more of chance for you to use your sword in the future."

"Sou de na?" Souji asked softly. _Does this mean Kondou-san doesn't want me to leave Edo? I have to show him I can be useful too._

"Therefore, I hope that you can think hard about the meaning of wielding a sword. A sword is a powerful instrument that reflects the heart of its user. It can be a tool to protect the life of someone you care about or it can be used to take someone's life, making it merely a tool for killing."

Souji was quiet for a moment, thinking over what Kondou had said. "What you've said is true Kondou-san."

Kondou nodded, apparently pleased with Souji's answer. "Those ronin in Kyoto are using their swords on innocent people and taking lives for selfish reasons. They are blinded by self-interest and are no better than animals. I don't want you to become like that Souji."

They walked for a few more blocks before Kondou continued, "I hope you'll have a higher goal and think about what wielding a sword means to you. If you do this and continue to practice as much as you have, you'll become an excellent swordsman for sure!" Kondou finished with a large smile.

Souji studied Kondou's face for a while before turning his attention back to the road in front of them. After another moment, he replied, "Of course, if that's what Kondou-san hopes to see." A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Kondou internally sighed in relief when Souji replied. He had been truly worried about Souji when Toshi had brought his concerns about him being overly occupied with killing. Seeing Souji smile at him and accept his words greatly diminished his worries. Souji had always been an apt pupil. "Good! I'm glad we reached an understanding. You've always been my brightest pupil!" Kondou laughed while patting Souji on the shoulder.

Souji laughed as well before saying, "Kondou-san, don't pat so hard. That hurts!"

Kondou looked bashful for a moment before apologizing. "Ah, sumimasen!"

Souji looked back towards Kondou with a hopeful smile on his face. "So does that mean you won't be sending me back to Edo?"

Shaking his head, Kondou answered, "Iie. We're going to need you in the coming months. I can't have my best pupil back in Edo."

This time it was Souji's turn to breathe a sigh of relief. He wouldn't be going back to Edo after all. _Kondou-san said he needs me. I definitely won't let him down._

* * *

"Gomen kudasai." Misako said before opening the shoji to her brother's room. She hadn't bothered waiting for permission to enter; instead she sat next to him at his desk and began serving the tea.

"I never said you could come in." Toshi said irritably.

Misako rolled her eyes. "It's one of the benefits of being family. You can't be mad at me for long."

Toshi grunted, or it might have been a chuckle, it was hard to tell. "Go ahead and say what you came in here to say."

Misako was silent for a while. She really wasn't quite sure how to broach this topic. After all, it didn't really concern her, as it was an official Roshigumi matter. However, even if it wasn't her place, she didn't feel she could remain silent. "About what happened tonight…"

"Yare, yare. Let me guess, you think I was too hard on him?"

Misako took a sip of her tea before answering. "Not exactly. I think you felt your concerns were valid. That you were acting in Okita-kun's best interest."

Toshi narrowed his eyes. "But?"

Misako allowed a small smile to cross her face. "But, your delivery was horrendous. I don't think you could have handled the situation in a worse manner."

"Jeez, don't hold back Misako-chan. Tell me how you really feel." Toshi deadpanned.

Misako blushed slightly at the light reprimand before continuing cautiously, "What I mean to say is if you had concerns about Okita-kun's behavior, I feel like it might have gone over better if you hadn't expressed those concerns in the middle of dinner. In front of everyone. It must have been quite a blow to his pride."

Toshi sighed. "I see that now." He said quietly. "Souji always seems to bring out the worst in me."

"I have to admit, I have a hard time figuring out if you two are close or not. It's obvious you both are very close to Kondou-san; he's like a brother to you both."

Toshi smiled wryly. "We have an unusual relationship to be sure. He seems to enjoy making my life difficult."

"It sounds like he is like a younger brother to you. I hear that younger brothers can be quite full of themselves and often need a lot of guidance." Misako said slyly. "I seem to remember a certain older brother constantly scolding his younger brother for practicing kendo instead of selling medicine like he was supposed to. Perhaps Okita-kun reminds you of someone?"

Toshi glared fiercely at his sister. "Bite your tongue. I'm nothing like Souji! And I always sold all the medicine… eventually. Satoru had unrealistic expectations." He grumbled under his breath.

Misako raised an eyebrow. "And you don't?"

Toshi didn't say anything for a while, merely sipping his tea as he thought about what Misako had said. While he didn't think he had been too hard on Souji, perhaps his sister was right about his approach. Wincing as he remembered some of the things he had said earlier that night, _No perhaps about it,_ he thought to himself. He was jarred out of his thoughts by the sound of Misako gathering up the now empty tea service.

"It's late." She replied to his silent inquiry. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning nii-chan."

She began to rise and start back to the kitchen to return the tea set but was surprised when Toshi rose as well. He took the tray from her and set it on his desk. Confused, Misako began to question his actions when she was engulfed by a warm embrace.

"Arigatou, Misako-chan."

Relaxing into her brother's arms, Misako returned the hug. She had worried he would think she was meddling by offering advice about how he could have better handled the situation, but now she realized she shouldn't have worried at all. He may be inept at expressing himself most of the time, but every once in awhile he got it right.

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Lyrics from _Bad Blood_ by Bastille.

2. What an epic pseudo-parenting fail from Hijikata! I honestly don't think he could have picked a worse way to get Souji to do something. Kondou calling him "inept" was kind of an understatement!

3. I know that Ryunosuke originally went looking for Souji with Kondou, but I thought he would have been more of a third wheel for their heart to heart.

4. I've always felt this was where Souji began to start his transition from child to damaged yandere, oh… excuse me, adult. He obviously still has some growing to do, but he is starting to realize he will have to lie about how he really feels to keep Kondou happy. Right now, he seems to be having a hard time deciding what he should be focusing on (besides trying to please Kondou!).


	7. Chapter 7

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

_But there's a side to you_

_That I never knew_

_All the things you'd say_

_They were never true_

_And the games you play_

_You would always win_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

It was just after breakfast and Misako was sitting on the porch, smiling as she watched Yuunosuke play a rather rowdy game of tag with Shinpachi, Sano, and Heisuke. She was glad to see the young boy had gotten over his fear of Shinpachi after seeing he and Saitou returning home covered in blood. That train of thought got her to thinking about the person missing from this happy play date. _Souji…_

He had put a lot of effort lately into avoiding both Hijikatas since his argument with her brother. Even to the point of not taking meals with the others. Someone, usually Heisuke or Sannan, would take his tray to his room after everyone had finished. She would have volunteered to take it herself but Toshi had expressly forbid her from entering the men's quarters on day one of her arrival. The likelihood of him bending this rule now, especially when he was still angry with Souji, was nonexistent.

Misako sighed. It was upsetting that he was letting his fight with Toshi bleed into their… friendship? She didn't even know what to call it at this point. One kiss, no matter how wonderful, does not a relationship make. She liked Souji, that was for sure, and he had certainly seemed very genuine that night. Who knew? Perhaps this was how men handled things. After all, her experience with men who weren't related to her was rather limited.

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled to see a large hand waving in front of her face. "Eh? Sano-san?"

Sano was smiling, but there was worry in his gold eyes. "You ok, Misako-chan? I called your name a few times, but you didn't seem to hear me."

"Sumimasen. Was there something you needed?"

Sano shook his head. "Iie. You just looked kinda sad."

_Get it together Misako! You can't have the entire Roshigumi see you mooning over Souji!_ Forcing a small smile, she answered, "It was nothing, just thinking about what to make for dinner tonight." Sano gave her a look that said he didn't believe her weak excuse, so she quickly changed the subject. "Where's Yuu-chan? You all looked like you were having so much fun."

Mercifully, he seemed to take the hint. "Yare, yare, he said we didn't play tag as good as Souji does. That kid's been moping around lookin' for him all week." At this point, Heisuke and Shinpachi had joined them on the porch.

"Okita-kun has been… scarce recently. Yuu-chan loves playing with him and I got the impression that Okita-kun enjoys it as well." Misako attempted to reply nonchalantly. There would apparently be no reprieve from Sano's perceptiveness today.

"Souji's been barricading himself in his room since the other night." Heisuke replied sadly. "I keep trying to get him to come out but he keeps saying he'll kill me if I keep bothering him."

"Souji's a stubborn one for sure." Shinpachi added.

Sano looked thoughtful. "I can understand what Hijikata-san was tryin' to say, but the way he said it kinda had the opposite effect."

Misako laughed mirthlessly. "That's Toshi. He has all the subtly of a boulder."

"Yeah, there's no way Souji'd leave Kondou-san and go back to Edo." Heisuke said emphatically. "He's like an older brother to him since Kondou-san took care of him when he was little."

"He did? But didn't Okita-kun mention an older sister the other night? Why didn't he live with her?"

"Oh, that. Mitsu-san dropped him off at Shieikan 'cause their parents had died and she couldn't afford to take care of him anymore. His dad had been a samurai for the Fujiwara clan, so I guess it was hard for Mitsu-san to find work. Anyway, I heard some of the older kids picked on Souji a lot. He was probably eight or nine and real small for that age too. Kondou-san looked after him, just like a big brother so that's why Souji will only listen to Kondou-san."

Misako looked thoughtful. "And Toshi told him to go back to Edo, which would separate him from Kondou-san. I had thought maybe he was just embarrassed that Toshi had yelled at him in front of everyone. I can see now that it goes deeper than that."

"Those two need to patch things up." Sano said, crossing his arms. "It's not good for morale for there to be arguments between a captain and the vice commander."

"They're both stubborn. Kondou-san's probably the only one who could get either of them to apologize. He said Souji didn't have to go back to Edo so I don't know why they're still giving each other the silent treatment." Shinpachi said grimly.

Sighing, Misako replied, "It's definitely a problem, one that I don't think any of us will be able to solve." Misako stood and looked back at the three men. "Hey, do any of you have time to walk me to Usui-san's shop? I'll be late if I don't leave soon."

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Arigatou Shinpachi-san! I feel bad that you all have been stuck with this chore since Toshi has been… occupied."

"It's no problem." Sano replied with a grin and a wink in Misako's direction. "It's a man job to protect women after all, something Heisuke here wouldn't know anything about."

"Oi! Sano-san! What's that supposed to mean?!"

Before the three of them could begin bickering in earnest, Misako started pulling Shinpachi through the entrance. "I'll see you all this evening!" She called out, grateful to be avoiding the most recent argument over which of the baka trio was the most "manly." Smiling to herself, she admitted that they had been able to make her forget her worries for a while.

* * *

Setting out the trays later that evening for dinner, Misako shook her head over the once again empty seat. Glancing at her brother and seeing his more annoyed than usual expression, she surmised that another day had gone by without a resolution to their argument.

Heisuke was the last one to enter the dining room, frowning as he did so. "Has anyone seen Souji? I went to get him for dinner and he wasn't in his room."

Ryunosuke looked up from setting up the last of the trays and replied. "Oh, I saw him leaving earlier with Tonouchi-san."

Hijikata frowned hearing this news. "Isn't Tonouchi part of Serizawa-san's faction?"

Ryunosuke looked nervous. "Yes."

Sannan noticed. "Ibuki-kun, do you know why Okita-kun would leave with Tonouchi-san? I don't believe they knew each other very well."

Glancing nervously at everyone's expectant expressions, Ryunosuke began to repeat the conversation he had earlier in the morning. "Well, Tonouchi-san came to Serizawa-san this morning upset about the new regulations. He said that a peasant like Kondou-san shouldn't be leading the Roshigumi and that those rules were ridiculous-"

"He said what?!" Hijikata shouted.

"Let him finish Hijikata-kun. What happened next Ibuki-kun?" Sannan asked.

Timidly, Ryunosuke continued. "He said that if Serizawa-san wanted him to, he would kill Kondou-san so that he wouldn't be in the way anymore."

Complete silence met this pronouncement. "Was there any way that Okita-kun could have found out about this conversation?"

Ryunosuke looked at Sannan miserably before answering. "Serizawa-san told him about it later that morning."

Hijikata stood suddenly and made his way to door. "Dammit! We need to find him before he does something stupid!"

"Fukuchou, considering the… state of things currently, your words might only make Souji more stubborn." Saitou said quietly.

"But…"

"Perhaps you could send a few of us out to look for Souji and we could report back to you."

Misako was impressed with how quickly Saitou had managed to diffuse her brother's temper. No matter how much he denied it, it was obvious he cared for Souji, otherwise he never would have considered leaving immediately to search for him.

Sighing, Hijikata replied, "You're right. Would you, Shinpachi, Sano, and Heisuke see if you can find him? Report back to me in hour."

"Hai, fukuchou."

An hour passed and the four captains had long since returned to headquarters with no sign of either Souji or Tonouchi. Kondou was visibly worried and everyone had gathered in the dining room to discuss what to do next. Having finished serving them tea, Misako was on her way back to the kitchen when she saw the object of their worry strolling through the gate. Relieved, she made her way towards him but stopped abruptly when he came to view under the lantern. He had a smug grin on his face and was covered in blood.

"Okita-kun… Souji, are you all right?" She asked, dropping the empty tray and coming closer to him with the obvious intent to check him for injuries.

Holding up his hands, Souji replied, still smiling, "I'm fine, none of this blood is mine."

"Are you sure?" She asked worriedly. "There's so much blood, maybe you have a wound you didn't see? What happened anyway? Everyone was so worried when we couldn't find you!"

"Quit fussing. Go get everyone so I only have to explain this once. I'm tired after just having killed someone."

However, there was no need for Misako to alert everyone to Souji's return as the sound of their conversation had carried into the dining room and they were all outside already.

Walking past Misako, Souji made his way to the hall. As he walked past Saitou he said, "Say, Hajime-kun, I've finally caught up with you now, right?"

Everyone looked uncomfortable. Saitou looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up remaining silent. Hijikata had no such restraint. "What the hell happened Souji?! Where have you been the last few hours?"

Looking unconcerned by Hijikata's anger, Souji merely smiled and looked towards Kondou. "I killed Kondou-san's enemy."

Kondou's expression was clearly dismayed. "My enemy Souji?" Even though because of Ryunosuke he knew _why_ Souji would think Tonouchi was a potential threat, he wanted to hear it from Souji. "What made you think Tonouchi was my enemy?"

"He told me he wanted to kill you, Kondou-san." Souji answered with a smile. "So I took care of the threat."

"Souji, Tonouchi was a member of the Roshigumi. Killing him breaches our regulations!" Hijikata looked furious. Misako's eyes widened. If Souji had broken the rules, the punishment was harakiri.

Turning towards Hijikata, Souji replied, sounding somewhat puzzled, "But I was enforcing our regulations. Tonouchi was planning on killing Kondou-san. Wouldn't planning to murder a commander breach the first regulation?"

Rolling his eyes, Hijikata answered, "Of course it deviates from bushido, but the correct action would have been to report the incident, not carry out the punishment yourself! Now you've both broken the regulations."

Raising one brow, Souji replied, "I didn't think I had time to report the incident. Tonouchi could have killed Kondou-san at any time."

"How did you even find out that Tonouchi wanted to kill Kondou-san?"

"I told you, he told me all about it."

Hijikata was quickly losing his patience. "Yes, you said that. But you didn't know Tonouchi before today. Where did you get the information that he wanted to kill Kondou-san?"

Looking thoughtful, Souji finally said, "Serizawa-san. That reminds me, I have to thank him for telling me about Kondou-san's enemy."

Before Hijikata could say anything else, Kondou stood and started to leave the hall. "Toshi, let's go talk to Serizawa-san now." Without saying anything else, Hijikata stormed out of the hall.

Breaking the silence, Souji said, "Well, I guess I can go get some rest now. This blood is sticky, I'll need to get these clothes washed." Picking up his daisho, he also left the hall.

"Che, I'm going to bed." Shinpachi quickly stood and started back to his room. Sano and Heisuke soon followed, leaving Saitou, Sannan, and Misako alone in the hall.

"Serizawa-san is very clever."

Startled by the sudden declaration, Misako looked in Sannan's direction. "Why do you say that, Sannan-san?"

Sannan seemed pensive for a moment before coming to a decision. "He accomplished several things tonight. We set those regulations to try to rein in his behavior, but now he's gotten Okita-kun to break the regulations first. Now he'll get to see how Kondou-san and Hijikata-kun will handle this situation."

"Would Tonouchi breaking the regulations first negate Okita-kun's breaking of the regulations, like he thought it would?"

"Souji's argument was weak. Like Hijikata-san said, the proper thing to do would have been to report Tonouchi's behavior." Saitou answered quietly.

"Serizawa-san also undoubtedly knew this would cause more tension between Hijikata-kun and Okita-kun. Tonouchi was greedy for power. Serizawa-san neutralized that threat to himself as well by having Okita-kun kill him. Very clever indeed."

Misako was starting to get worried listening to Saitou and Sannan's discussion. It sounded as though Souji might be in serious trouble. Serizawa was undeniably clever to have orchestrated this predicament.

Taking her leave, Misako wondered what her next course of action should be. Obviously this was a very serious matter. Toshi probably wouldn't want her involved. What she really wanted to do was talk to Souji, but he had been deliberately avoiding her lately. Would he even talk to her if she went to him? If she wanted to talk to him, it would have to be now while Toshi was at Maekawa house as he would be displeased to find her in the men's quarters.

Making her decision, Misako gathered some clean towels and a small basin of water. Souji had said he wanted to get some rest; he wouldn't want to go to sleep covered in blood. Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly on the doorway to Souji's room.

"Go away, I'm trying to rest." Came the annoyed reply.

Biting her lip, she partially opened the shoji. "Okita-kun, I thought you might want to get cleaned up before you retired for the night. I brought some water and towels."

Misako squirmed a bit as Souji seemed to consider her suggestion. He looked like he was trying to find an ulterior motive for her presence. Apparently deciding otherwise, he replied, "That is kind of you Misako-chan. Come in."

She breathed a sigh of relief and entered his room. It was the first time he had really spoken to her all week. She sat down next to him, making sure to keep a respectable distance. Placing one towel into the basin, she wrung out the excess water and handled the towel to him.

Souji had already changed into a clean yakuta before her arrival. Taking the towel from her, he began cleaning off the dried blood. He couldn't reach all of it though. Letting the sleeves of his yakuta fall to his waist, he began washing his chest and arms.

Making a strangled sound, Misako blushed fiercely and quickly turned her back.

"Hmm? Something wrong Misako-chan?" Souji asked, adopting an innocent tone.

Misako wasn't fooled in the slightest. "You know very well what's wrong! You should have warned me you were going to… disrobe!"

"I assumed you knew since you brought me supplies for a bath." Chuckling to himself, he quickly finished washing up and adjusted his yakuta back in its appropriate place. "You can turn around now." This time he laughed out loud when he saw Misako violently shake her head, obviously not believing him. Getting up, he moved so that he was seated in front of her. "See? Everything's covered." Souji told her with a cheeky grin.

Misako cracked her eyes open and saw that Souji was telling the truth. "Mou, Okita-kun!" Now that he was right in front of her, she noticed some stray blood on his cheek. "You missed a spot." Picking up another damp towel, she gently wiped the blood from his face. "There. All done. Are you sure you're not injured anywhere?"

"Did you see any wounds while you were ogling my chest?" Souji asked playfully.

"Ogling?! I was not!" Misako emphatically exclaimed, but the dark blush on her cheeks belied that assertion.

"Eh? You certainly took your time turning around."

"Souji!"

Taking mercy on the clearly flustered girl, Souji changed the subject. "Thank you for your help Misako-chan."

Choosing her words carefully, she replied, "I just wanted to see if you were ok. We hadn't spoken in a while…"

Souji's smile diminished. He _had_ been avoiding her this week. "I had a lot on my mind."

"I could tell. I thought… maybe you were angry with me. Toshi wouldn't let me look for you that night."

Souji winced at her words. He knew Hijikata wouldn't let his sister run around chasing him by herself all over Kyoto. And then he had avoided her in all the places she was allowed to go on her own. He had let his anger with her brother affect their relationship. "I was angry with you, but it was for the wrong reasons."

"Everyone's been worried about you. Sannan-san said Serizawa-san tricked you and that you might have to commit harakiri. Was killing Tonouchi-san that important to you?"

Souji didn't reply for a while. "Yes. I couldn't let Tonouchi-san carry out his plan. I must be useful to Kondou-san. What better way to be useful to him than by killing his enemies?"

"Heisuke-kun told me that Kondou-san took care of you as a child. You love him, don't you?"

"I would do anything for Kondou-san." Souji finally replied. "I was carrying out our regulations, I'm not worried about having to commit harakiri."

Looking down at her hands, Misako said quietly, "I've missed you Souji."

Smiling, Souji pulled Misako into his embrace. "I've missed you too Misako-chan."

Misako savored being in his arms for several minutes before pulling away. "I need to go before Toshi finds me here." Standing and moving to leave his room, she turned and asked, "Will I see you at breakfast tomorrow?"

"I'll be there."

* * *

Author's Note:

1. Lyrics from _Set Fire to the Rain_ by Adele.

2. And Yandere!Souji makes his first full appearance! I've always wondered what happened to those older kids who used to bully Souji. Maybe Shieikan had no money because Souji beat the snot out of those older boys and they all quit?

3. Serizawa actually was _very_ clever to set Souji up like he did. It's not really brought up again in the anime or the game, but Serizawa could have made a lot more trouble for the Shieikan faction of the Roshigumi since by killing Tonouchi, Souji technically should have been ordered to commit harakiri for deviating from bushido. Although if Souji had been killed off in episode four, I would have definitely stopped watching!


	8. Chapter 8

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

* * *

_All of your flaws and all of my flaws_

_When they have been exhumed_

_We'll see that we need them to be who we are_

_Without them we'd be doomed_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

It was almost dusk and they had been in Osaka for most of the day. Serizawa was still speaking with the last merchant to provide the Roshigumi with much needed funding. The atmosphere had been tense as he and Hijikata had argued about the best way to accomplish this task.

Glaring at the curtain separating the two rooms, Hijikata stood up and left in a huff, saying impatiently, "I'm going to check on when the boat will be ready to leave."

Watching Hijikata leave, Souji took this opportunity to depart as well. "I have to get some air. It's best to leave the matter of raising funds to Serizawa-san." It didn't escape anyone's notice that Souji went in the opposite direction of Hijikata.

Sighing, Kondou stood as well, looking back and forth between the directions the two men had gone, as if he couldn't decide which one to go after. Looking up at the quickly darkening sky, he wondered if he should just leave them alone and let them work it out. _Although that didn't seem to be going so well…_

"Ne, Kondou-san. You look worried about something." Ryunosuke asked after witnessing Kondou's indecision.

Looking back at Ryunosuke, Kondou replied, "I can't seem to help it. Because I've known Souji since he was little, I keep forgetting he's a man now. Perhaps because I keep forgetting, Souji finds it irritating."

Rolling his eyes, Ryunosuke regarded Kondou. _Ha! The day that Kondou-san does something Okita finds irritating will be the day Serizawa-san doesn't beat me with his iron fan!_ Honestly, he was starting to find it irritating how much Hijikata and Kondou indulged Souji. No one had ever cared for him that way. Even when Hijikata was furious with Souji, he still allowed him to pretty much do and say what he wanted.

Kondou placing his hand on his shoulder jarred Ryunosuke out of his rather uncharitable thoughts. "Ibuki-kun, would you do me a favor and check on Souji for me? Maybe he'd talk to you about what's bothering him."

Ryunosuke highly doubted that. Souji could be talkative when he wanted to but he was _never_ talkative about anything personal. Why Kondou thought he would open up to him was a mystery. Despite his misgivings, he found himself agreeing to Kondou's request. "Alright, I'll see what I can find out."

The look of relief on Kondou's face spoke of how worried he was about his protégé. "Arigatou, Ibuki-kun."

Setting off in the direction Souji had taken, Ryunosuke walked for several blocks before spotting him sitting on the handrail of a large bridge. He was staring blankly at the people walking by so Ryunosuke didn't think Souji noticed him at first.

"What are you doing here? I wanted to be alone." Souji said harshly, startling Ryunosuke.

Annoyed, Ryunosuke replied just as severely, "I didn't come because I wanted to! Kondou-san asked if I would come see how you're doing."

The change Ryunosuke saw in Souji after those words was stunning. Tilting his head to the side, Souji regarded Ryunosuke with a kinder expression. "Kondou-san sent you? Hmm… Well quit standing there. You're blocking the road." Pointing to the handrail next to him, he indicated that Ryunosuke should sit. "Have a seat here."

This was not a scenario Ryunosuke had expected. He was much more familiar with rejection from Souji; perhaps this was all a trick. He wondered if Souji would just shove him off the bridge after he let his guard down. _No, even Okita would never go that far…_

Ryuonsuke lifted himself up onto the railing and made himself comfortable. Looking over at Souji, he decided to see if he could find out what was bothering him. "Kondou-san is worried about you. He said he was worried you might be irritated with him because he was treating you like a child."

A small, genuine smile formed on Souji's face. "Ah, that's Kondou-san. He's always considerate of others. He should think of himself more often."

The change in Souji's demeanor really was breathtaking. Perhaps he wasn't as hard to get along with as Ryunosuke had thought. _Or more likely it's because the subject is Kondou-san…_

"Kondou-san really shouldn't worry so much. Hijikata-san thinks I didn't know that Serizawa-san set me up, but I did. He might have set me up, but I decided to kill Tonouchi-san on my own. I heard him say that he wanted to kill Kondou-san. If I hadn't killed him, Kondou-san may have died so I don't regret it at all."

Ryunosuke was surprised. He had, like everyone else, assumed Souji had been tricked into killing Tonouchi. "Even so, Kondou-san doesn't want you to kill. But that's probably not what you want to hear."

Laughing mirthlessly, Souji murmured, seemingly to himself, "Those two… so overprotective."

After a few moments, Ryunosuke plucked up his courage and asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

Looking confused by the sudden change in topic, Souji asked, "Afraid of what?

"Of killing. It seems like it would be… distasteful." Ryunosuke shuddered. He still vividly remembered seeing Shinpachi and Saitou return to headquarters covered in blood not that long ago. He could see Kondou's worry. Even if Souji was a genius with a sword, killing people wasn't the same as sparring in the dojo. All the blood and sounds of battle made Ryunosuke feel sick. He couldn't imagine ending someone's life and having to live with that sin on his soul. He had been so lost in his thoughts he almost missed Souji's answer.

"No." He said simply. "There are things much more fearsome and distasteful than killing."

Curious, Ryunosuke asked, "Such as?"

The answer came quickly. "Such as not being needed by anyone."

Ryunosuke was truly surprised by Souji's answer. _Does he really think no one needs him?_ Maybe he just wasn't needed in the way he wanted. It was obvious to everyone that Kondou cared for Souji. Hell, it was sometimes even obvious that Hijikata cared for him as well.

"You are needed." Taking Souji's silence to mean he was still listening, Ryunosuke continued, "Compared to me, you're very fortunate. You have people who care about you so much that you call them overprotective. Wouldn't you call that being needed?"

Souji looked over at Ryunosuke and smiled in a way that made him nervous. _Maybe I should get off the bridge before he gets any ideas…_ But before he could move, Souji reached over and pushed him over the railing into the shallow water below.

"Wha- what was that for Okita?!" Ryunosuke shouted from the middle of the river. And here he had just been thinking that Souji wasn't hard to get along with!

"You talk too passionately, Ibuki-kun. I thought a dip in the river would cool you down a little." Souji said with a cat like smile before turning to leave.

"Hey! Wait! You're not going to leave me here, are you?! You could at least help me up…" Ryunosuke grumbled before making his way to the riverbank. Walking through town back in the direction he had come from, Ryunosuke hoped the boat was finally ready to take them back to Kyoto. This had turned out to be a very miserable trip.

* * *

Misako awoke to familiar noises outside her window. Souji had apparently resumed his late night practice sessions. Grabbing her haori to ward off the late night chill, Misako quickly joined him outside.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here." Souji said cheekily without stopping his kata.

Misako smiled and happily watched his graceful and now familiar movements. She knew almost nothing about kenjutsu, only what he had told her really, but even she could tell that Souji would be a formidable opponent to anyone he faced. Realizing she had just been staring at him and had yet to say anything, she said the first thing that came to mind. "I'd missed our late night visits but I must say I did appreciate the extra sleep."

Grinning at her teasing words, Souji finished his kata with a flourish and turned to join her on the porch. He sat on the step next to her in his usual lounging position. "Did you hear the good news?"

"News?"

Looking up into the night sky, Souji replied, "It looks like everyone will be stuck with me a little longer. Serizawa-san accepted Tonouchi's punishment. I won't be spilling my guts any time soon."

"That is certainly good news. I couldn't tell what happened at the meeting, Toshi looked so angry afterwards."

"Hijikata-san always looks angry." Souji said ruefully.

"That's true enough." Glancing in his direction, Misako placed her much smaller hand on top of his. "I'm so glad that you aren't in trouble. Sannan-san made it all sound very serious. I was worried."

"I told you I wasn't worried. How could everything not work out when I took care of Kondou-san's enemy?"

The two sat in companionable silence for some time. Souji couldn't help thinking about his earlier conversation with Rynuosuke. The boy had been so upset about the thought of killing, he wondered if Misako felt the same way. He found, to his surprise, that her opinion of his actions mattered to him. Looking at her, she didn't appear bothered or uncomfortable. She looked very peaceful in fact. Never one to keep his thoughts to himself, Souji decided that best way to find out was to ask her directly.

"Misako-chan?"

Turning to meet his gaze, she noticed he looked more serious than usual. "Yes?"

"Does it bother you? What I did?"

Looking away, Misako considered the question. While he had been avoiding her, she had had a lot of time to think about what had happened. Glancing back at him she realized that her prolonged silence was making Souji uneasy.

"Yes, but probably not in the way you're thinking." Trying to think of the best way to explain, she continued, "I'm not used to seeing a lot of blood, but it wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I'd never met Tonouchi-san, so I can't say I am bothered by his... absence."

"So what _did_ bother you?" Souji asked dryly.

Shaking her head, she replied, "I'm not explaining myself very well. What bothered me was that you did something that could possibly be bad for your future."

Souji frowned. He still wasn't sure what she meant. Bad for his future?

Noticing his puzzlement, she elaborated, "I guess more simply put, it doesn't bother me that you killed Tonouchi-san. I believe you when you say that he wanted to kill Kondou-san and that he had to be eliminated. What I have difficulty with is that you did something that you knew would get you in trouble. You knew there was a possibility that you… that you could have to commit seppuku and you did it anyway. That is what bothered me."

Surprised by her answer, Souji was once again reminded of the conversation he had had earlier that day. Ryunosuke had been right, he did have people who cared for him; and more than he had originally thought. "So it doesn't bother you that I killed him?"

"No." She replied simply. "As long as you feel like what you are doing is right and you won't break the regulations by doing so, I am not upset about what you do."

His manner was playful again as he said, "That's a weird thing for a girl to say."

"What were you expecting me to say?" Misako asked curiously.

Clearing his throat, "'Oh Souji! You're covered in blood! That's so disgusting!'" Souji replied, doing a credible imitation of a dramatic female's voice, before continuing in his normal tone. "And then you would have swooned of course."

It took Misako a few minutes to control her laughing long enough to reply, "What girls have you been around that sound like that?"

"My sisters, Mitsu and Kin." Souji replied with a faraway look in his eyes. "They were forever telling me not to get dirty, be polite, don't bring bugs in the house. Unreasonable, those women..."

"I agree with them about the bugs, and while I don't mind the dirt and blood I would much rather spend time with you after you've cleaned up a bit. And I've never swooned in my life, so don't expect that from me either!"

Chuckling over her mock indignation, Souji stood up and faced her. "Do you mind if I continue practicing? With all those meetings Hijikata-san dragged me to I missed out on my normal practice sessions."

Smiling back up at him, she replied, "Not at all. I'll stay out here for a while though, if that's ok?"

Nodding before ruffling her hair affectionately, Souji started practicing again. _Things are getting back to normal…_

* * *

A few weeks later, Misako was surprised when Toshi approached her and asked her to stay behind for a few minutes after breakfast.

"You look happy about something nii-chan. It's not often that I see you smile." Misako teased.

Toshi started frowning then, before he retorted, "I smile dammit!"

"Of course you do." Misako said in an attempt to placate him. "Why is that you want me to stay behind?"

That question brought the smile back to Toshi's face. "We've just had exciting news from the lord of the Aizu clan himself. We're going to announce it to the men this morning; I thought you'd like to hear it as well. It's something we've been working very hard for."

Misako smiled as well at her brother's excitement, before replying that she would indeed stay to hear the news before leaving for work. Picking a seat off to the side of the rest of the men, she sat down and waited for the rest of the commanders to arrive.

Kondou sat at the front of the hall and addressed the entire Roshigumi. "We have been granted an audience with the lieutenant general of the Aizu clan tomorrow. All of the Roshigumi will visit the Kyoto Military Commissioner's headquarters."

There were murmurs of excitement from the men at the announcement. "That means they've finally acknowledged how cool we are!" Heisuke excitedly exclaimed.

Shinpachi mockingly said, "What should I do? I don't have a thing to wear!"

"Calm down!" Hijikata said sternly, interrupting the men's excitement. "He's not done talking yet."

With a nod to Hijikata, Kondou continued, "We will be in the presence of the Aizu clan's lieutenant general, so I would like to hold some matches for him to watch!"

"Some matches for him?" Sano questioned. "You mean we get to fight in front of a lord?"

"Yeah, it'd be a waste if we just went to meet him and ended it at that." Hijikata said, smiling proudly at the thought.

"Why should we go through all of that trouble?" Serizawa asked irritably.

"Indeed!" Niimi agreed. "The Aizu clan hardly even coughs up enough money to fund our work."

Cutting off any further comments from Niimi, Hijikata replied, "Leave the dirty work for us. This job isn't big enough to concern two chiefs with." Ignoring Niimi and Serizawa's looks of distain, Hijikata continued, "We've already decided who will face who during the matches. The first match will between Heisuke and I."

Looking very surprised, Heisuke stammered, "I-I'm fighting Hijikata-san?"

Hijikata continued, "And the second match will be between Shinpachi and Saitou."

"Saitou, eh? That should make for a pretty interestin' match!" Shinpachi said with glee.

"The final match will be between Sannan-san, and…" Hijikata paused momentarily before announcing the final name, "Souji." Looking at Souji's surprised face, Hijikata shared a significant look and a small smile before Kondou continued.

"The Aizu clan's assessment of us depends on the skills displayed in the matches, so please put your heart into your practice!"

After the men had all cleared the hall, Misako met Toshi at the door and the two began walking into the city towards Misako's workplace. "That is exciting news! I'm glad the Aizu clan has finally recognized your worth."

She laughed to herself as Toshi visibly preened at her praise. "I think the matches will be great for morale as well."

"I'm guessing those were your idea?" Misako asked wryly.

"Yes they were. It'll be great to show the Aizu clan that they rightly entrusted us with this responsibility."

Looking over at her brother, she asked, "Who decided the opponents in the matches? The parings seem… interesting."

Coughing and looking slightly uncomfortable, Toshi answered, "Sannan-san and myself decided who would participate in the matches."

"And was there any particular reason you picked Okita-kun over someone like Sano-san or Gen-san?" Misako asked slyly. She hadn't missed the exchange between Souji and her brother when the announcement had been made.

Glaring in his sister's direction, "Well, _someone_ told me I might have handled a certain situation badly. I thought this might be a way I could... fix things."

Smiling, she replied, "Okita-kun seemed pleased you would entrust an important job like that to him. For someone who's not very good at expressing his feelings, that was a good way to make amends." Looking up, she realized they had reached their destination. "Well, here we are. I'll see you tonight nii-chan."

Nodding at his sister, Toshi began to walk back towards headquarters. He sincerely hoped that this would mend things between him and Souji. They had been fighting long enough.

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Lyrics from _Flaws_ by Bastille. (I have tickets to their concert next month!)

2. So, the theme of this chapter was definitely reconciliation ;) But with such opposing personalities, who knows how long that will last!

3. The dynamics between Kondou, Hijikata, and Souji are soooo complicated! It's like they're all tiptoeing around each other, trying to make the others happy, but they still end up failing miserably to do so.

Feedback is always appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Hakuouki: Chiriisogu Hana**

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Hakuouki universe. I'm only borrowing them for a bit.

Alas, my vacation from both work and school is over :(

Back to the real world I suppose...

* * *

_You say that it's hard to commit to it_

_You say that it's hard standing still_

_Don't you know that you're all that I think about?_

_You make up a half of the whole_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The demonstration for the lieutenant general of the Aizu clan had gone exceedingly well. So well that Hijikata decided a celebration was in order. Ryunosuke had been sent out to buy sake for someone other than Serizawa for the occasion. Misako had spent the better part of the afternoon cooking a large banquet for the excited men.

"Kondou-san, did you see my match today?" Souji asked excitedly. "I fought the way you taught me!"

"I saw it clearly." Kondou praised. "Your sword skill sure has improved!"

"Yes, but that's not all. For Kondou-san, I'll become even stronger!"

The party was well underway and everyone was beginning to get a bit rowdy. "Ano, Sano-san… where did you get that scar?" Misako tried to avert her eyes, but with Sano dancing all over the room, it was hard to find an appropriate place to look.

"You haven't heard this story Misako-chan? Sano-san tells it every time we go out drinking." Heisuke said merrily, taking another gulp of sake.

"Heisuke, when exactly would my sister have gone out drinking with you idiots?" Hijikata asked, his eye twitching with irritation.

"Ehh… I just meant—"

"Nii-chan, this is supposed to be a party, stop antagonizing Heisuke-kun. Let's hear this story Sano-san." Misako interrupted.

"Well, there's not much to tell. When I was young I got into a disagreement with another samurai so I committed honorable suicide."

"You-you what?" She asked incredulously.

"That's how I got the scar. I committed honorable suicide."

"But it didn't really stick, did it Sano?!" Shinpachi said with a laugh. "Go on, I've got the brush and ink! Do the dance!"

Rolling his eyes, Hijikata said resignedly, "Here we go again. How many times do we have to see this?"

"It's because Sano made it a rule to tell this story with every banquet." Saitou said quietly.

Misako was coming to the conclusion that the party was quickly degenerating into… well she wasn't sure what it was degenerating into actually. Probably something that was more common in Shimabara. Making her way towards her brother, she tapped his shoulder gently to get his attention. "Oyasumi nasai Toshi. I'll see you in the morning."

Looking apologetic, he replied, "I'm sorry this got so rowdy."

Smiling, Misako shook her head. "It's no problem. They deserve their fun after all the hard work everyone has put in." She quickly said goodnight to the rest of the men and began making her way out of the hall. Not quickly enough however to avoid the start of Sano's belly dance. Apparently Shinpachi had painted lips and a face around Sano's scar and this was the dance they had been referring to earlier. She took one more incredulous look at the scene in the hall before departing.

Later that evening found Misako awake and leaning on the bannister by the steps outside of her room. The full moon had risen high and most of the party had gone to bed, some in the same places they had fallen. Spring was on its way and Misako was grateful for the warmer temperatures. She had never enjoyed the cold.

"I thought you had gone to bed." Came a voice from behind her.

"It would have been impossible to sleep with all of that racket coming from the hall." She replied, turning towards the familiar voice. "I had been hoping you would come."

"You had doubts?" Souji said with a wink.

Smiling, she replied simply, "No."

"Hmm… I guess I'm not as mysterious as I thought." He replied, leaning lazily against the railing beside her.

Turning to face him, "I meant to congratulate you on your victory today. Sano-san told me all about it."

"It was too bad you couldn't come to watch. Sano-san was explaining all of the matches to Ibuki-kun in a way that even he understood."

Laughing, Misako replied, "Some of us have to work you know."

Looking wounded, Souji pouted, "Hey! I'll have you know that it was very hard work to impress those Aizu clan officials."

"Not from what Sano-san told me. Like you said, he was there watching and explaining all of the matches. He implied that you made short work of Sannan-san. Was it really necessary to hit Sannan-san in the chest like that?"

"I told Sannan-san I wasn't going to hold back. Not holding back is the only way to win." A playful grin appeared on his face. "I seem to remember winning a prize after my last match." He said, while staring purposefully at her lips.

Blushing and looking away, Misako replied, "I seem to remember you saying you would make something up to me, and then you didn't speak to me for almost a fortnight."

Souji looked stricken. "Misako…"

Hugging herself with her arms, "Souji, I just don't want to have any more misunderstandings." She turned back to face him, but she was still looking at the ground, refusing to meet his gaze. "You're my friend Souji-"

"I think we're a bit more than that, don't you?" Souji asked, absently twirling a lock of her hair between his fingers.

"That's what I'm asking!" Finally meeting his gaze, she realized he was _much_ closer than she had realized. "It-it just didn't seem to go very well last time. So I wanted to know what you thought-"

Misako started when Souji's fingers suddenly tightened on hers, pulling her gently forward until her lips were within reach of his. She looked up in surprise, however he moved quickly, his mouth capturing hers. Quickly getting over her surprise, she twined her arms around his neck and strained upwards on her toes in an attempt to be even closer.

Souji slowly and leisurely shifted his attention to her neck, nipping teasingly until he reached her ear. Whispering huskily into her ear, "Does that answer your question?"

"What question?" Misako asked blankly.

Souji chuckled over her bemused state. Generously deciding to have mercy on the dazed girl in his arms, he answered, "I don't know if I'll be any good at this, but I'd like to see where this goes. Is that ok with you?"

While his words were somewhat playful, Misako could hear the sincerity in his tone. That answered her question well enough for now. "I would like that very much."

Grinning wolfishly, he hauled her up against him once again, lips moving against hers. She put her hands against his chest, feeling the hard muscles under his clothes. Clutching his shirt gave her something to hold onto as his kisses were making her knees weak and she was finding it difficult to stand. It was Souji who finally broke their kiss.

"There is something you should probably know." He began, taking her silence to mean he should continue, "Hijikata-san told us all of us that he would kill us if we got fresh with you."

Rolling her eyes, she slowly began regaining some of her senses. "Well, Toshi's not here, is he?" She replied quietly. "And what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Smiling smugly, Souji began peppering her neck with kisses. "Have I told you…" Moving further down her neck, "That I really like…" Reaching the juncture of her neck and shoulder, "The way you think, koneko?" Souji ended by leaving a small love mark, feeling a surge of masculine satisfaction course through him upon seeing _his _mark on her skin. Continuing his exploration of her neck, he slowly became aware of Misako's soft moans and increasingly flushed skin. Realizing that this was quickly getting out of hand for someone like Misako who had very little experience in such matters, he grudgingly placed one last gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away.

Her heart was racing and her breath was coming in short gasps as she struggled to remember how to stand on her own. She continued to cling to Souji as she knew that without his solid presence, she would have fallen. It also had the benefit of keeping them close even after he had stopped kissing her.

Smiling down at her in a way that made her think he was quite aware of her thoughts, Souji made his way to the steps, pulling her with him. Settling himself comfortably there with his back supported by the railing, he drew her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. Sighing contentedly, Misako snuggled deeper into his embrace. "Tell me more about your match this afternoon."

Souji chuckled softly, knowing that her question was merely an excuse to spend more time with him. Not that he was complaining. So he began at the beginning and went through his match with Sannan, making sure to highlight moments he thought would amuse her. At the beginning of the story, Misako had made quiet noises of agreement and enjoyment, but Souji noticed towards the end of the story she was suspiciously quiet. Looking down he realized that she had fallen asleep. Smiling gently at the sleeping girl in his arms, Souji carefully rose and carried her back to her room.

* * *

Ryunosuke walked by the hall the next morning and saw several boxes sitting around in the hall. Several kimono shop apprentices were just leaving and he wondered what exactly was going on. _Maybe Masa-san ordered a bunch of new kimonos._ But that didn't really make sense as Heisuke was bouncing around the hall, obviously excited.

Finally, giving into his curiosity, Ryunosuke asked, "What are all these boxes?"

Surprisingly, Serizawa was the one who answered. "I ordered these with the money we received in Osaka. They are to make the Roshigumi's name better known in Kyoto. Wearing a uniform is one way to accomplish that."

Shinpachi looked around the room excitedly, and seeing that everyone was present, turned to Serizawa and asked, "Is everyone here? Can we unpack them now?"

Niimi was standing the corner, watching the excited men hover over the boxes with undisguised disdain. "Uncivilized country samurai." He said with a snort. "Serizawa-san ordered these to made, he should be the one to open them."

Hijikata struggled not to roll his eyes. Niimi never seemed to miss a chance to suck up to Serizawa.

Serizawa seemed bored with the conversation. "It's just some boxes. It doesn't matter who opens them."

Niimi looked dismayed, realizing he had picked the wrong way to handle the situation. "Ehh… oh, of course Serizawa-san isn't that close-minded. What are you waiting for Nagakura-kun? Go ahead and open the boxes."

Looking pleased, Shinpachi bent down to the nearest box and then glanced at everyone else in the room. "All right! Then I'll open it! Everyone ready?"

Rolling his eyes at Shinpachi's dramatics, Souji replied, "Skip the drumroll already Shinpachi-san and just do it."

Opening the box revealed several brightly hued haoris. The other men opened the remaining boxes to find more of the same. Heisuke was the first to pick one up and held it up for everyone to see. "How cool! It's just like the forty-seven ronin! This is awesome! What's the design on the sleeves called?" Heisuke asked, fingering the brilliant white pattern on the sleeve's edge.

Shinpachi came closer to examine it. "Wait, I've seen this design before. It's called dandara!"

Sano looked skeptically at Shinpachi. "I don't think that's right. If I remember correctly, that's not what dandara looks like."

"It's dandara!" Shinpachi argued adamantly. "I have confidence in my memory!"

Sano raised one eyebrow doubtfully in Shinpachi's direction. "Yare, yare. If you say so Shinpachi. But why don't we ask an expert? Misako-chan looks at different designs everyday in her work I bet." He replied, looking meaningfully in Misako's direction.

Smiling sheepishly, Misako came closer to the group and looked carefully at the design. "Sano-san is right. It's not dandara. I would call them mountain stripes instead, which in itself could have several different meanings."

Looking extremely put out, Shinpachi mumbled to himself, "I don't care what you say. It's dandara!"

Ignoring Shinpachi's mutterings, Heisuke asked eagerly, "Kondou-san, Hijikata-san, can we try them on?"

Kondou looked around the room uncomfortably. "Well…"

Serizawa answered impatiently. "Go ahead and try them on, it's fine."

"Before you try them on…" Hijikata said sternly, "Remember these are not your property. Be careful and don't get them dirty!"

"Yeah, yeah we know Hijikata-san." Turning his excited gaze towards Misako, "Oi! Misako-chan! Go get your scissors! We need to cut the tacking string!"

Laughing at his enthusiasm, Misako acquiesced. "Calm down Heisuke-kun, I'll go get them."

She returned shortly afterwards with the scissors, cutting the threads so that they could all try on the haoris.

"Ne, Sano-san, what do you think of these haoris?" Souji asked, looking at the coat dubiously.

"They certainly stand out." Sano answered diplomatically. Looking over at Heisuke who had already put on the haori, Sano smirked, "However, every man needs battle attire. Although Heisuke looks like he's attending Shichi-Go-San!"

Whipping around and glaring at Sano, Heisuke spat, "Who looks like they're attending Shichi-Go-San?! No one wears an haori like this for that. Besides, if this makes me look like I'm going to Shichi-Go-San, doesn't it make Shinpattsuan look like a street comedian?"

"Eh?! What was that Heisuke? How dare you?! This haori was designed for me! What's wrong with your taste?" Shinpachi shouted.

Saitou stepped between the three men, trying to stop the brewing argument. "Heisuke, Sano, Shinpachi, calm down. It doesn't matter how they look as long as they are helpful in carrying out our duties."

"Fine, Hajime-kun and Misako-chan can be the judges then. Which of us looks the best in this uniform?" Heisuke asked, striking a pose.

Taking the challenge seriously, Sano replied, "Bring it on! If you want a contest, I'm not gonna lose."

Jumping in front of Misako and Saitou, Heisuke said, "Make sure to count Sano-san and Shinpattsuan as one group. It makes no difference for seniors."

Shinpachi immediately took offense. "What?! You little brat, don't be too cheeky!"

While the baka trio continued arguing over who looked best in the harois, Souji looked over at Ryunosuke with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Ibuki-kun, why don't you try one on too?"

Ryunosuke was surprised and also somewhat worried. Souji didn't look at him that way without some sort of scheme in mind. "No, I'd rather not."

"Hmm? Isn't Ibuki-kun courageous? He openly shows dislike towards the uniform Serizawa-san designed." Souji said slyly.

"Eh?! Don't be ridiculous! I never said that!" Ryunosuke defended.

"Really? But you won't wear one because they're in bad taste, right?" Souji continued.

Ryunosuke was starting to look panicked. "No! I'm simply not wearing it because I'm not a member of the Roshigumi." He looked nervously over at Serizawa, who thankfully seemed not to have heard Souji's remarks.

"Whatever. If Kondou-san is satisfied with this, then I won't complain anymore." Souji replied, trying on his for size, still appearing put out by the bright color of the haori.

Ryunosuke made his way over to Serizawa, still worried that he might have overheard Souji's unkind assessment of the uniform. "I'm surprised you made a uniform for everyone, Serizawa-san. I would have thought you would have just made one for yourself."

Niimi looked incensed of Ryunosuke's words. "Ibuki-kun! Watch your language towards Serizawa-san!"

"Niimi." Serizawa interrupted. "There's no need to respond to every bark from an ignorant dog."

Ryunosuke glared at Serizawa. "Hey! You're calling me ignorant on top of being a dog now?"

Serizawa seemed to be a in a good mood though, since he hadn't started beating Ryunosuke with his iron fan yet. "Dog, although I think it's futile to ask, I'll ask anyway. Do you know the meaning behind these haori?" Serizawa asked, surprisingly patient.

Ryunosuke looked confused. "The meaning? There's a meaning behind the design?"

Sighing exasperatedly, Serizawa answered, "Dog, I gave you a chance to prove yourself and you failed yet again."

"What? I really don't know. I can't help it!"

Looking smug, Niimi replied, "Ignorant and unrefined. You're really hopeless!"

"Oh yeah?" Ryunosuke retorted. "Do you know the meaning behind the haori then?"

"Of course I do!" Niimi answered in a superior tone.

"Then tell me, why did he use this color?"

Niimi looked uncomfortable for a moment. "That's… I think it's better for Serizawa-sensei to explain it to you."

Glaring at Niimi, Ryunosuke pointed at his chest. "Why don't you just admit that you don't know either?!"

"I do!" Niimi defended. "I'm just not good at teaching uneducated barbarians like yourself. Serizawa-sensei, please enlighten him."

Looking slightly amused over the exchange between his two men, Serizawa answered, "Very well. But listen carefully, I'll only explain this once. The color is called asagi-iro, the color of the burial clothes a samurai wears when he commits seppuku."

Ryunosuke looked confused. "Burial clothes? That's so ominous. Why would you pick that color?"

"It represents how we are betting our lives when we carry out our duties. As for the mountain stripes on the sleeves, they represent snake scales."

_Misako-san was right then, it's not dandara._ Ryunosuke thought. "Snake scales?"

"That's right." Serizawa explained. "Ever since ancient days, snakes represent immortality since they reincarnate through sloughing their skins. This design signifies that our undying faith will last even after our deaths."

Ryunosuke was surprised that there was such meaning behind the uniforms. Or maybe he was more surprised that Serizawa could be so sentimental. Conflicted, Ryunosuke thought to himself that for every bad thing Serizawa did, he often did something that benefited the Roshigumi as well. _Perhaps he's not as bad as we all thought…_

* * *

Author's Notes:

1. Lyrics from _Already Home_ by A Great Big World.

2. Koneko- kitten; an endearment in this case.

3. Shichi-Go-San is a rite of passage for children ages 3, 5, and 7. Sano is clever in his insults! The scenes in the game where they were all trying on the new haoris are all hilarious. Although I think the funniest one was Sano's route since they were all arguing over who looked the best and were comparing themselves to fictional heroes!

4. Serizawa can actually be thoughtful! He doesn't much explain his actions and thoughts in the anime, but we are offered glimpses of his thought process in the game.

Feedback is always appreciated!


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